Kamiyama serenade
by GeorgeDGreen
Summary: Year is 2025. Thirteen years after the events of Hyouka, Oreki's a college dropout and shut-in; all because of fateful, horrible event which took place ten years ago - Chitanda died. 28 years old and completely devastated, he doesn't have any hope for the future. Little he knew that, soon, his life will be twisted upside down. (Rated M for the graphical scenes and sexual innuendos)
1. Chapter 1

**_This is primarily Hyouka fanfiction. Because it would be hard to find if placed under the crossover category, it's been tagged as the regular one. This story will, as I said, primarily revolve around Hyouka characters - with persocoms from Chobits, but without any Chobits characters._ **

_**I will upload new chapter, every Sunday.**_

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 **PART 1 –Chitanda' remembers**

 _Completely dissatisfied with my own words,  
again and again, I end up trying to embellish my lines awkwardly.  
I will send my thoughts your away together with  
this pain which I'm unable to express in words._

 _Although both light and shadow are still far in the distance,  
we still wish to know the reason for this kindness.  
Towards a far and radiant place no one has been able to reach yet,  
let's go find it before everything becomes history._

 _I will find you before you become history._

 _ **September, 2015.**_

It was just another rainy day over the town, whose name is altogether unimportant, for it's a part of the memory which should be buried. Polished, black Volskwagen New Beetle rolled down the street, veiled in the misty, wet curtain. Oreki remembered how mesmerizing those red traffic lights looked like. He also remembered mesmerize of her face. She was like an angel, with her wide smile, lilac eyes and raven hair.

„Oreki! I can't wait to see those new Twin Sphynx statues! I'm so curious!"

„I only wish we were able to do it on some, less rainy, day." Oreki muttered. Of course, he knew. Once Chitanda set her mind on something, she grabbed hold onto it, just as sure as barnacle would grab the wet limestone. No one in the world could pry her off.

They had the right to pass the street, and Oreki turned the leather-wrapped wheel with the bored look on his face, hypnotized by the rhythmic concert of wipers, sliding here and there, along with blinkers, click-clacking with the iridescent, blinking light behind the wheel. Maybe because of the rain, or because he was too sleepy, but he hasn't noticed a pair of strong headlights which swerved from right to left in a sudden, twisting curve. But she did... and he still remembers that scream, engraved in his brain. Oh, how he wished he was riding shotgun that day.

It was over in a matter of seconds. Skidding, sound of rain slamming the windshield thrown by the huge wheels, the terrified honk of the horn and then loud crash. Oh God, and the sound of metal bending, like a midnight vixen's scream. He had just enough time to lower his head, instinctively, before a large chunk of metal twisted itself above his head, leaving him trapped.

Oreki still remembered that grave silence, those five minutes of utter, dead silence which followed. He spent it listening to the sound of rain, slowly tapping on the chunk of metal above his head. Bleeding gash on his arm was painful, and as his nose picked up the metallic scent of blood his heart dropped in his ankles.

„Eru...?" he whispered.

„Chitanda...? Can you hear me...?" he whispered again, with the shaky voice. But no answer was heard. Now, Oreki wished for the next ten years that he had enough strength to battle his curiosity. He could, before, but newborn curiosity was her gift. And... He turned his head around. And he screamed as a child, looking at Chitanda's maimed, lifeless body, pinned to the seat with the large chunk of metal which'd pierced her abdomen and chest, killing her instantly. Her lilac eyes lost all the usual shine, with one thin drop of blood sliding down her chin as she stared at him with those lifeless amethysts.

„Hey... Chitanda... are you alright?" he whispered, trying to grab hold of her hand, but the metal blocked his way, and he couldn't move. For a first few minutes he didn't want to trust his eyes. Maybe, he thought, he fell unconscious and this is but a vision which will disappear once both of them wake up in the hospital. But Chitanda was dead silent.

„Chitanda, Chitanda! Wake up, hey! Don't mess with me!" he screamed, feeling the helplessness. He tried to pinch himself, but the pain in his hand was enough to confirm his fears. This wasn't a dream, neither an unconscious vision. A cruel reality hit him square in the jaw, a painful realization. Chitanda was dead.

„Please, don't leave me alone! I don't have anybody else, please! I'll never call you annoying, again! You were curious about those statues, right? Let's get out, we can walk! We can..." he was stopped by a gush of tears streaming from his eyes and he wailed, trying hard to reach her hand but every time he tried, mass of bent metal stopped his advance.

„I just want to reach your hand! Why is this happening?!" he screamed. That one last touch... he only wanted that one last touch, feeling the warmth of her skin before it leaves her body, forever. Alas, murky rain, bloody car, her lifeless body... everything disappeared from his mind as he woke up.

 _ **July, 2025.**_

Oreki almost fell out of his bed in a shock. Another vivid nightmare, one in the many recurring ones. He was 28 now, living alone in the one story flat. He turned around, sliding bare toes into the pair of comfortable slippers, readying himself for his morning coffee ritual. Brushing his teeth, showering himself... all was done before he sat down to drink, watching TV.

„They can talk! They can sleep! They can do everything you want, and so much more! Feeling lonely? Need a friend? A helper? House-maid? Persocom has it all covered! Order yours now, for a mere price of 60.000 yen!"

Suffice to say, Oreki almost choked on the coffee he was drinking. He spurted it all from his mouth, instead. 50.000 yen! No, add 10.000 to that! It was more money than he ever saw, in his whole life! And just to add one little crystal of salt to the wound, those things were incredibly cute.

„Whatever... those things need too much time and the effort." he muttered, turning the TV off. Just as he drank the soft, bitter drink, his mind cleared enough to take the notice of his surroundings. They were dirty, smelly, full of trash, used napkins and the other stuff. Basically, a typical student room. Only, Oreki was 28 now.

He still struggled with his college, becoming a droput, barely making it to the third year where he stopped, repeating it again, and again... forever student, that's how everybody called him nowadays. And he wasn't dumb. But events from ten years ago destroyed him from inside, melting his motivation down. He was unmotivated before... now he was even worse.

„I'm hungry... Satoshi, bring me some food..." Oreki slammed his cheek on the table, feeling a painful sting in his abdomen. And just as he did, a doorbell rang. It was nobody else other than Satoshi himself. Pushing the trash away with the door, he danced around the piles of junk until he stopped right in front of the table. Ten years after, his personality remained unchanged. Alas, his hair was conversely proportional. It somehow crawled backwards, unnaturally extending his already big forehead. Oreki caught a glimpse of Mayaka too – but for some reason she angrily moved away as soon as she realized he was watching.

„My, my, Oreki! This stench is aaawful! Might you tell your Satoshi how're you faring these days?"

„Oh, hi, Satoshi... it's same as always. Crappy, old Monday."

„I see, I see. Anyway, I've brought you some food. You're hungry, aren't you?"

„Leave it on the table." he muttered.

Satoshi looked at him, passing fingers through his nonexistent hair. He clicked with his tongue, shifting from one leg to another. Oreki just raised one of his eyebrows, not even raising his head up.

„Come on, Oreki... it's been ten years. She wouldn't have wanted you becoming _this._ Why don't you come with us? We can go to the arcade, or to the cinema. Mayaka baked some cookies; we can go to my place and eat. Come on, it will be fun!" Satoshi tried cheering him up. But, Oreki wasn't budging. Instead, his face darkened and he stood up. His disinterested demeanor absolutely dissipated.

„How the hell do you know?! How the fucking hell do you know what she thinks?! You're fucking stupid to simply forget everything! She was your friend and yet you act like everything's right! Get the fuck out of my apartment!" he screamed. Satoshi looked down as his face saddened, but then his lips tightened, eyes filling with resolve.

„Oreki, you idiot." he calmly started, „Of course I haven't forgotten. How could I? Chitanda was my friend. But you're also the same thing to me, and I can't stand watching you, throwing your life away. Goodbye." he calmly said with a shaky voice and the obvious pain on his face, as he walked out, kicking the trash away. Oreki overheard him arguing with Mayaka as they walked away. As soon as their voices died out, he fell down on his knees, sobbing in sadness and pain.

But Satoshi wasn't ready to give up, just because of the outburst. He had something planned in his mind... and it will change Oreki's life. For better, or for worse.

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 _Next chapter: Persocom_


	2. Persocom

**Hope you've all enjoyed the first chapter. Leave some reviews, if you might. I'd like to see where I've failed. :D**

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 **Persocom**

Satoshi was a rich man now. Not only rich; he was famous as the marvelous fashion designer, reaching the top of the Japanese standards, making it as far as to America. He even had his own brand, Hyouka, already making millions and millions of yen. Yes, he was a polar opposite of his shut-in friend, Oreki. Mayaka followed whenever she could, since she was busy with practicing the manga – girl finished her manga drawing college and now she aimed for the Kodansha – which was a really high aim, let me tell you. She, indeed, realized this fact after her twelfth try at sending the draft. But, she knew that sooner or later, somebody will take a notice.

Right now, Satoshi visited her cramped flat, looking around in awe.

„Woow, Mayaka... you sure are working hard. Have you had any luck with the manga?" he asked.

„I... It's not like I haven't sent it thirty times already!"

„I'm glad to see you trying." Satoshi smiled, kissing her forehead and she hugged him, with the discontent look on her face.

„I'm still worried about that idiot, Satoshi. He's almost thirty and he's still in the college. We both've finished ours years ago. What should we do?" Mayaka asked, refusing to leave his embrace.

„I think I have an interesting idea. Have you heard about persocom?"

„What about it?"

„They are mobile PC, in the shape of humanoid girls. Since it's his birthday, which he failed to notice, I was thinking about buying him one. Perhaps having something like that might make him more... motivated?"

„First artificial girl, then real girl, yes, I think it might work... but wouldn't he just throw it out? He still..." Mayaka started.

„Misses Chitanda. I know. I already made a first move, Mayaka, by ordering a custom made, PC persocom. It's going to look, act, dress and move like Chitanda. Maybe it will help him move on?"

„Well, that's a harebrained idea, Satoshi! No girl, even artificial one, will ever replace Chitanda!" she moved from the embrace, gripping his arms as she glared in his eyes with a serious look on her pretty, feminine face. Her lips, colored with red lipstick, quivered.

„I know that! But we have to try. It's ours, and his, only chance."

* * *

Oreki sat in front of his laptop, watching the same, dirty video over and over again. Maybe because the girl inside looked just as she did. His face wasn't even excited anymore. It carried a bored, fed up look. He wanted to touch Chitanda, talk to her. Stay up late, being with her. That thing on the screen wasn't her. Just as a girl faked orgasm for the tenth time already, somebody honked outside and he promptly pushed the screen down, walking outside. He must've looked horrible, since mailman who arrived with the suspiciously big package looked at him with the combination of pity and disgust. Before he took a contract from his bag, he touched his face with a swift move, and Oreki realized his own beard was probably unkempt and too long.

„Mr. Hotaro?" he asked.

„It's me."

„Please, sign here..." he gave him the pencil and the paper.

„Might I ask what the hell this is? I haven't ordered anything."

„Let's see... Sender wanted to remain anonymous, and the package... Well, Mr. Hotaro, you're quite a lucky man. It's a custom made persocom. Not many people get it as the gift." he smiled.

„Perso...com... wait, are you serious?! Who the hell would...?" he sighed, signing the paper with a shaky palm.

„Lots of deliveries to make, no time to chat, see you later!" Mailman uttered, jumping in the truck, leaving confused Oreki with the human sized, otherwise inconscpicuous box.

It took quite some time and strength to pull the box upstairs. But he finally did it. Making some space by pushing the trash away, finding a suitable kitchen knife to cut the wrappings down... soon enough the lid opened up. Oreki almost fell on his butt. In front of him, wearing a red, flowered yukata stood nobody else other than Chitanda.

It was, without a doubt, her. With long and pretty eyelashes, soft and long hair, even her skin, which had the same scent; It was her exact copy. The only thing which distinguished persocom from the real thing were two, red ear things on her head. Oreki tried to regain his calm. If this was a joke, it was a very bad one. He was pissed off, but at the same time somehow happy and sad. After all this time… he had a chance to finally see her again.

Oreki took persocom out of the box, heaving as he placed her on his bed, with her face staring up at the ceiling. Now, he fumbled around the instruction book.

"First part – turning your persocom on. Just like a real woman, persocom turns on after you press the certain place." Oreki read, feeling a rush of blood in his head. He only tried touching her there once… afterwards both of them had a small panic attack and decided to stop. They cuddled, and shared one kiss. And now, he had to grab her down there, just like it was some absolutely normal thing. Slowly, he crawled to the bedside, moving the yukata up with the shaky palm. Just as he saw her laced, black underwear, feeling his heart pumping like crazy, somebody opened the door.

"Happy birthday, Ore… ki." Satoshi whimpered, followed by Mayaka who screamed in horror, hiding her face.

"Absolutely disgusting! Oreki, you... disgusting moron! You idiot! What the hell are you doing?! Was _this_ the only thing Chitanda meant to you?!" Mayaka retorted, trying to leave but Satoshi grabbed her.

"Wait, Mayaka. Oreki, you were trying to turn her on, right?"

"Now even you, Satoshi?! Don't stoop down-"

"Wait, Mayaka." Satoshi softly placed a palm on her mouth.

"Oh, Satoshi… uhm, yes… it seems this particular persocom's turn on button is…"

"Right between her legs, I know. Have you done it already?"

"You've stopped me."

"Well, do it." Satoshi chirped, dragging unwilling Mayaka with himself, until the three friends stood in front of the sleeping android. Oreki let an embarrassed whimper, closing his eyes and grabbing Chitanda over there. It felt so soft under his palms and he involuntarily felt himself turning on. He found something hard and he pressed. It made a clicking noise and persocom slowly opened her eyes. They were purple, like a Caribbean sea on the lilac sunset. Persocom raised herself up with the creepily humanlike moves, looking around in confusion.

"Master Oreki…?" she said. Oreki held himself from crying – even her voice was the same.

"It's me, Chitanda! It's me!" he fell on his knees in front of her.

"Chi…tanda. That's an unknown word. For the further activation of the persocom number 2765, please, read the activation code from the package." she said, looking at Oreki with the calm and confused face.

"Um… alright. Nine, ten, twelve, A, B, C, D, ERU." Oreki read.

"Thank you for purchasing your own persocom. Since this model is special in terms of having an extremely free will, please, insert the CD which you got in the package." persocom monotonously chanted.

Satoshi already played with it, whirling it around his fingers and he gave it to Oreki. Android turned around, moving her hair away. Suddenly, a cartridge slid out of her neck. Oreki placed a CD inside, and cartridge disappeared inside of her body. Suddenly, persocom's eyes brightened and she turned around, staring at Oreki with such a familiar look.

Satoshi swelled up with the pride.

"Oreki, I've personally worked with a guy who made her. This CD contains artificial remake of Chitanda's memories, her personality and her feelings. You won't find any differences. Just don't forget to charge her!" Satoshi laughed. Mayaka rolled her eyes, turning around.

"Master Oreki! My name is Chitanda! Nice to meet you!" Chitanda chirped.

"My dearest Chi!" he screamed, breaking into tears as he held her in the embrace.

* * *

Observing their ultimate meeting, Satoshi's lips made a small smirk. His eyes flashed with a menacing blink as he turned around to leave.

"Now, Oreki... the dice are tossed." he whispered to his own chin.

"What are you muttering to yourself for, dear Satoshi?" Mayaka asked Satoshi, clinging to his shoulder.

"Nothing! Let's go!" he cheered up, leaving the small flat. Oreki didn't even noticed when he left.

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 _Next chapter: A promise for slumber_


	3. A promise for slumber

**First things first. I'd like to apologize for being late with this new chapter. I was pretty busy, but it's here now. Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed it until now. And DragonShadowDSC, thank you so much for favoriting and following this story! It made me want to continue uploading new chapters where I haven't had any hope that somebody's reading.**

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 **A promise for slumber**

Later that day, the room was empty as much as the room could be. His new persocom, aptly named Chitanda, cleaned all the traces of the dust, smelly napkins, dirty socks, and the piles of garbage bags, throwing them all in the big, green container. Right now, she stood behind Oreki as he browsed the Internet, leaning her chin on his broad shoulder.

"Master Oreki?" she whispered on his ear. He immediately felt warmth inside of his chest – it felt so much like her, and it made him so blissful.

"Yes, Chitanda?" he asked her, turning his head around. For a moment, their faces went so close that Oreki immediately retreated back, almost falling from his chair.

"You should shave your beard." she said, factously wagging her index finger.

"Shaving it takes too much time." Oreki sighed, turning his laptop off. As he checked himself in the big mirror on the wall, finally visible after all the trash was gone, man almost screamed. Images that flew through his mind? Many pictures of Grim Reaper, along with the long, scraggy beard. Chitanda saw his shock, and suddenly her face became absolutely serious. She grabbed him by the shoulders, fixating her eyes on his own. They glittered as she held him like that, and he gulped.

"Master Oreki!"

"Y-yes?"

"How do you look without a beard?! Do you even have a face under all that fuzz?"

"Dear Chi, what kind of weird question is that?! Of course I'm having a face!"

"Well, shave it off! I'm curious!"

"Ugh... you're still the same old Chitanda..." he remembered the annoying Chitanda, and it made him weary at the same moment.

"I don't care! I'm curious!"

 _"Well, Oreki, you wanted Chitanda and there she is. Good and the bad parts, both."_ he thought to himself, walking to the bathroom, followed by the overly curious persocom. She looked at him with awe, as he shaved his face, down to the skin. Under all that fuzz, there indeed was a face. And it looked the same as it did before, save for maturity which found it's way to his outlook, even as he continued living in the past.

"Oreki..." Chitanda whispered.

"Y-yes? What's wrong?" he asked, suddenly realizing her face looked somehow sad.

"It seems like I've felt something for you... but I don't understand why. I remembered when I saw your face. Vivid memories of a boy named Oreki reside inside me, but I don't understand them. It feels as though there was another person, and she lived through all those things with you. I feel... like I'm stealing something very important."

Oreki suddenly felt a sting in his heart. Even with her outlook, her personality, her chitandness, she wasn't Chitanda. She was a persocom with her memories, confused about it. And yet, he couldn't help but falling in love with her, all over again. Maybe she wasn't the same, but if he could treat her like reborn Chitanda everything could work out well. Yes, that would be the best, he thought.

He walked close, embracing blushing Chitanda as she looked to the side, still feeling confused.

"That smell... that boy had a same scent as you're having, Master Oreki. Why am I feeling such a pain? Why am I feeling so confused? Master, I'm scared." she whimpered.

"It's alright, dear Chi. It's fine... you don't have to remember. We're going to make a lot of new memories, together." he whispered, carresing her hair, softly as she cried, without making any sound, not even knowing why she's crying.

"Master Oreki... can you tell me more about those memories..? I'm curious." she whispered.

Oreki wanted to pass her question, but more he avoided, more she pushed and the next thing was two of them sitting in the living room. Persocom's stare was concentrated as she held both of her knees, listening patiently.

"You wanted to know about that other person, whose memories you're sharing. Her name was Chitanda Eru, just as you're named, now."

"Chitanda... Eru. Surname... persocoms don't have any." she whispered.

"Yes... Chitanda Eru, daughter of the proud, long standing family which held a huge farmhold on the outskirts of the town. She was rich, and had a huge, beautiful house. I've met Eru on the first day of my highschool, and before that, I thought I wasn't having any friends. I was determined to ignore her overwhelming curiosity, her lively spirit, but she simply dragged me into her mess again, and again, until I..." Oreki stopped, feeling a throbbing inside of his chest and a knot forming inside of his throat, which threatened to form into tears.

"What's wrong, Master Oreki?" Chitanda hollered with a worried voice, taking his palm.

"It's nothing. I'm fine. In the end, the wall inside of me broke. I wanted to help her, to solve the mystery about her past, and after that I simply... found a meaning to my life. " he felt the knot forming up stronger – now it was tough, like a sailor's rope.

"I loved her! I loved that girl! There, I've said it! And when she died, I've felt so empty! You've said we'll be together, forever! What was that promise for, Eru?! Why have you said that?! It was a lie!" he screamed in his persocom's face, finally breaking down into tears.

Persocom looked confused, but she smiled warmly, sitting right next to him as he sobbed. She embraced him around his shoulder, starting to sing some song.

 _I was searching for you among the twinkling stars,_

 _Believing that we'd be able to meet very soon... I'm right here._

 _Someday we'll fall in love. Even if a new morning arrives,_

 _please make sure that you would not fade away._

 _It'll be our promise when we go to sleep."_

 _"_ What... what's this song?" he asked.

"It's called A promise of Slumber. It seems that this Chitanda person liked you very much. She wanted you to be happy, no matter what happened. Even if she fades away, she wanted you to continue living on, feeling happy even if she falls asleep, and never wakes up. Now, please, stop crying."

„Crying like this, in front of a girl... it's so embarassing." he muttered, looking down.

„It's only natural. Come on, let's go to the town now!" she cheered him up.

Mountains outside the Kamiyama village have always offered some kind of closure to its inhabitants, kind of protection against the outside world. Basically, there were a few ways out through the mountains but other than that village was cut out from the world. Oreki thought it boring as he walked through the almost empty town – even with Chitanda at his side again, city wasn't changed. Fading sun made the sky wear the translucent, orange dress, but those colors softly faded into rosy hue. Briefly stopping beside the big Sphynx statues, built on the way out of the city, he was reminded of old Chitanda, and how she never got to see those things. Persocom Chitanda stopped in front of one, ogling it.

"Master Oreki… what are those statues? They remind me of something, but I can't tell why… I'm curious!"

"Those are Sphynx statues. Chitanda wanted to see those." Oreki said, very informally, fitting the straps of his backpack.

"Oh…" Chitanda whispered, walking forward, glancing around her shoulder from time to time.

Since it was already September, day outside was pretty cold and she embraced his arm, walking with tiny steps right next to him. Oreki felt warm, even with all the cold outside. It was a beautiful feeling – he wanted this for such a long time. After they finished the high-school, Chitanda got caught up in her duties and Oreki had to prepare for his college, so they barely had time to hang out. Basically, they've planned their life together after he ends up his college… which has never happened.

"Chitanda… do you remember this place?" he whispered, suddenly stopping and turning around himself. Persocom stopped and her eyes glittered as she analyzed her database. It went on for a few minutes.

"Data found! It's the way out of the city, where the regular Kamiyama parade takes place, every year. Every spring, Sakura trees along the way bloom in the various shades of pink, so the parade walks under them, making the circle around the town." She chirped, obviously feeling proud about herself.

"Yes, that's also true, but something important, also, happened here."

Oreki obviously looked impatient as he muttered those words. Persocom looked at him, opening her mouth as to say something… but the words haven't left her mouth. Instead…

"Master Oreki…" she whispered.

"What's wrong?"

"We should go home. It's already late." she monotonously uttered, looking down.

"Hey, wait! Please, wait, Chitanda!" he yelled. Persocom turned around, looking at him, and he swore he could saw rainy sky in those shining amethysts.

"I'm not Chitanda, Oreki. I'm me." She quietly said, turning her head around, walking away.

"Chitanda, wait! Chitanda!" he yelled, mounting his bicycle to come closer. "What's wrong? You're acting very strange." he asked her, but she refused to look back.

"Let's go home, Master Oreki. I'm going to make you the coffee, and rub your back. Will be happy to serve." she ignored his question.

"Hey… have I angered you, Chi… my dear persocom?" he asked. Persocom giggled, but her eyes remained sad.

"I'm not angry. You're my master… I'm made only to serve. I'll be happy to do so, as long as I live." She muttered.

"But, you're obviously shaken." He said, as they walked back.

"It isn't important! Let's just go back!" she yelled, and her mouth twisted in a funny, cute expression.

Later that day, he sat in his dorm room. Lucky for him, there was one college in Kamiyama so he didn't have to go far from home. All of his friends weren't this lucky, but they haven't considered themselves unlucky. He stared at the flamboyant colors of dawning sky, remnant of some old past which he couldn't bury, obviously. Even his persocom actually wasn't Chitanda. She hated being compared, he knew. But he couldn't help it. Calling her Chitanda made him happy, it made him feel like she's still next to him… even though ten years have already passed, and she wasn't here anymore. Her spirit resided somewhere with the gods.

Still, watching her back as she wore the simple, white dress and white apron, her raven, silky hair… it was so similar. It felt so similar. Having somebody like her so close to him again – it was so bittersweet. For a moment there, he felt like he's doing something wrong. But as she turned around and smiled warmly, he forgot all about it.

"Master Oreki, would you like more sugar… or less sugar?" she happily asked.

"Less, please." He said, throwing his head back to rest on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.

"There you go!" she chirped, placing the jug on the table and he slurped the drink, looking at the persocom who walked to the window, staring somewhere outside. He swore he could hear a sigh.

"Master Oreki?" she asked, never turning around.

"Yes?"

"Will you… accept me for who I am?"

"What do you mean?" he bolted up, feeling somehow shocked. She was a persocom… such a free will and emotion range was unusual. Maybe she was just having very upgraded software.

"Will you accept Chitanda as Chitanda, and not as Chitanda?" she asked, turning around. Only then he realized why she wasn't turning around. Silver beads formed around her eyes, falling down her cheeks in a tiny, crystal streams.

"But… you're Chitanda… you're her, aren't you?" he asked. Feeling in his heart was almost as some ice monster grabbed it, pressing with its cold fingers. He felt panicky – almost like he was losing her again.

"Oreki… I'm having her memories… but I'm me. To me, those memories are only pictures. I just can't feel them with my heart. Please, can you accept it? I want to serve you so much; I want to make you happy. But I feel you're miserable because you can't accept that I'm not her. Please… accept me for what I am…" she said, turning around and he saw her pretty shoulders, shuddering in pain. Oreki stood up, embracing her around the stomach. It felt so natural, she felt so much like her. It was so weird, trying to think that this isn't her. It was such a strange feeling. But he wanted to try, remembering how he'll treat her like reborn Chitanda.  
"Chitanda… I'll try, if only to make you happy." He whispered in her ear. She still cried, but in the end she turned her eyes up.

"She won't come back, Master Oreki… you can continue living your life pretending, or you can accept yourself and your own life, and start moving on." Persocom muttered. Oreki buried his face in her shoulder, trying hard to hide his feelings. But it was such a hard thing to do.


	4. Chitanda walks out

**Sorry for being late, I've been stuck with my college last few days. I'll be punctual this week, I promise. :D**

* * *

Chitanda walks out

Oreki awoke at six, next morning, still feeling the emptiness inside of the heart. But, a flicker of new resolve somehow crawled inside of it, and he felt warmer than before. Maybe everything wasn't so bad? Maybe, after all this time, he actually _will_ be able to move on? His apartment was clean, unlike before – having a persocom was, indeed, very useful. Having a persocom… but where was she? He turned around, trying to find her with his eyes. Losing a wallet was normal. Dropping a coin and losing it was normal. Dropping your pencil – also normal. Losing a human sized persocom? Na'ah.

"Chitanda?! Chitanda, where are you?" he yelled, but without any answer. Still in his boxer trousers, he fumbled around the room, looking at the bathroom, at the kitchen – even in the hallway. But Chitanda was nowhere to be found. Dread filled up his heart – what if she walked out, and got lost, all alone? He hurried to the window, looking out. Since his dorm room was on the second floor, he had a nice view of the quaint, little town. And he, also, saw Chitanda walking down the road.

"Chitanda! Chitanda, wait!" he yelled through the open window. Persocom turned around, putting arms around her mouth to yell.

"Must find an answer to the question, Master Oreki! Will be back, it's a promise!" she hollered.

"To what kind of question?!" he yelled.

" _Oh, shut the hell up!"_ Some other student yelled.

Chitanda's overwhelming curiosity worried him now. He stood up, quickly pulling his trousers on. Elevator seemed all too slow as it dragged down to the lowest floor and he jumped on the bicycle, pedaling like crazy to find where she wanted to go. He didn't have to pedal for a long time. As soon as he hit the main road, he saw her walking away. Maybe she ignored him, or maybe she hasn't noticed, but she continued walking on and he unmounted the bike, walking behind.

"Oh no…" he suddenly realized something.

Chitanda was walking in the direction of the house where Eru family lived. He wanted to stop her, because he knew how painful it would feel. But even if he did, she was too stubborn and curious to actually stop. Even dragging her home wouldn't be useful, for she would try again as soon as he falls asleep.

So he simply followed her, and they took a left street, which was considerably smaller than a main street and led to the outskirts – where Eru family lived. He knew the way all too well – since he passed here almost every week since she died. Oreki saw everything which had transpired – he was there at _tsuya_ held for her funeral, too. It was a sad day, seeing her family crying as they knelt in the room on tatamis, looking at the small shrine with her picture, as the monk made a service. Oreki still remembered the scent of steaming rice, and fragrance in the air. His mind wandered off, and he hasn't even seen how far Chitanda went.

She stood on the place where her huge household was, and her raven hair fluttered in the wind as she stared. Huge lot where her house was built was still here. It looked the same as before, same old house. But something felt very different. Chitanda walked to the doorbell and Oreki waited to see what will happen. Oreki saw her walking forward, placing her hand upon it. Deciding to closely watch her next actions, he got closer.

"Chitanda… house… still here. Memories… all just memories. No answer to my question…" she whispered. Oreki saw her confused face. There was a grave silence for a few minutes; only a wind played the same tune as before. Somebody came down the pathway which led to the big, wooden doors. Sliding, they've opened and Oreki saw a girl around her twelfth year of life, with the dark hair and deep, purple eyes. Her hair was tied in a ponytail; she wore a simple white shirt, headphones around her neck and had a pair of skinny, dark jeans. Strangely, she reminded him of Chitanda – but he wasn't around her home for some time, and he didn't even know somebody moved in. Quite frankly, he thought her home was empty.

"Oi, papa! Some girl came to see ya! Do ya know her?" she yelled in a strong, Osakan accent. Chitanda stood like that, feeling paralyzed as she saw a man who walked outside. Memories started flooding her brain – she remembered this man through a fog. His face was hazy, but still in her mind; although he was a lot older now. The man wore western clothes – jacket, pants and the beret above his face, which looked younger than his actual age.

"Chi… tanda? Is this some kind of joke?" man muttered. His face was terrified, confused, sad and happy at the same time – Oreki swore he never saw this expression before.

"Not Chitanda. Persocom. Persocom made after Chitanda." Chitanda explained.

"Persocom… I've heard about those… aren't them those new android girls?" man asked.  
"Who was Chitanda… why had she loved Oreki so much? What is the meaning of these memories?" she skipped straight to the point.

"Papa, may I go inside?" girl asked.

"Of course, Junko. Make a tea for the newcomer, alright?"

"Ri-ight." She muttered and run back to the house.

A man walked here and there, with hands behind his back. Looking up, he inspected her face as she looked at him with the patience. His old face was filled with some old regrets. Chitanda remembered them all, somehow. But they haven't made any sense.

"You look just as her… I will forever regret not coming back at her funeral. But I couldn't go back… I've ashamed myself, my family, my friends." He continued. Chitanda analyzed information all that time.

"Your name is Jun, Sekitani Jun. Uncle to the one called Chitanda Eru. Leader of the rebellion in the Kamiyama highschool, made a scapegoat, thrown out as a suspected leader, for an example. Later disappearing without a trace, in the India. Current status, unknown." Chitanda muttered.

"Yes… that's me. I suppose you want to know about my niece? Well, I will tell you whatever I know. Her mother and father moved away soon after her death, leaving me deed to their house. Come inside… have some tea, I will tell you everything."

Two of them sat in the spacious living room. It contained single kotatsu, along with tatami pads everywhere around. There were, also, many paintings on the old fashioned, ancient Japanese style walls. Chitanda sat on her knees, waiting as Junko waltzed through the hallway, singing some overly cute anime song.

" _Kimi wo miteru to itsu mo haato doki doki._ " she sang as she walked down.

"Oh, Jun-chan, you're here. Have you, perchance, forgotten to bring us the tea, as I instructed?" Mr. Sekitani politely asked. Chitanda chuckled.

"Oh, shit! I'll be right back!" she jumped in place, running back in a matter of seconds with a plate of priceless, old fashioned tea set.

"There, papa... Green tea with the leaves of miriam and the petals of rose." she put the steaming cup on the table.

"Thank you, my dear."

"And what about you... do persocoms even drink, or eat?"

Chitanda thought about it, firmly, trying to think about the meaning of that word.

"Eat...? I don't have that word in my program." she murmured.

"That's when ya put something in ya'r yapper and munch. You know, like this." Junko said, grabbing Jun's tea cookie from the table, eating it whole. Chitanda was confused, but she put another cookie in her mouth, trying to chew.

"Hy foud I foo fhat?" Chitanda asked, with the mouthful of crispy crumbles.

"Because ya get hungry, I guess?"

"I don't." she chewed those, until they became a fine paste. As soon as Chitanda was ready to spit it out, Junko panicked, managing to find a paper bag before she did it on the floor.

"Sheesh, persocom! Do tell me if you're going to spit."

"I don't eat. I never get hungry." she was confused.

Later, three of them sat at the table. Jun slowly drank his tea, inspecting curious persocom. Nobody noticed Oreki who peeked through the window, interested in the whole situation. PC (Personal Chitanda) sat on the other side, inspecting him back. She still had all the memories about the man, but couldn't make any sense of them. To her, they were just a bunch of pictures.

"Mr. Sekitani?" she asked, raising her hand.

"Yes, Chitanda?" he lowered the cup, giving her attentive look.

"What was Chitanda Eru like?"

Junko's stare grew confused.

"She's just a persocom with her memories, Junko. And about your question... She was a very curious, young girl. I've had a situation in my highschool... of course, I haven't told anybody about it. But she insisted, pushed on. As soon as I told her, she broke down in tears, saying it was unfair. She had such a self-righteous attitude, too." Mr. Sekitani smiled with a distant look in his eyes. Persocom's eyes flared and she slammed both of palms on the table, reaching as close to his face. He retreated back a bit, feeling embarrassed.

"Was she very different than me, now?!" she ecstatically hollered.

"You two look the same. The way you two act are the same... but I remember Chitanda only as a little girl. I haven't seen her all grown up. Don't you have anybody else who can answer you those things?"

"There aren't any relatives here that I can ask... and Oreki... he's too biased." she sat back, smiling.

"Oreki?" Jun asked. He, of course, didn't know anything about the man.

"He's my new master. It seems he had a personal relationship with Chitanda, but something happened and she's not here anymore. So, he bought me in hopes of recreating the old Chitanda. But I don't know anything about her. Those memories which I have in mind are just a bunch of pictures – I don't understand them. I came here in hopes of learning about Chitanda's past. Maybe then I will properly understand those memories."

"Chitanda... is she that girl, uncle Tetsugo's daughter?" Junko asked.

"Yes, Junko. Chitanda-persocom, do you know how Chitanda-human died?" Sekitani asked.

"No! Her memories stop with the date 31. 12. 2013. Everything after that is empty. I know she's dead, because Oreki's depressed and she's nowhere around, but I don't know why."

"Chitanda... she... died in a car crash, ten years ago. Her family moved away to Tokyo

not a long time after that, crushed after the death of the only daughter, who was supposed to inherit the farm hold. I never thought I was going to see her again." Sekitani ironically smiled.

"So, her death was tragic... I see. I think I understand Oreki a bit more now. By the way, I'm not Chitanda, I'm Chitanda."

"Yes, I know. I can't tell you more, sadly. Maybe Chitanda was having some friends here?" Mr. Sekitani politely asked.

Her eyes widened, as in a sudden realization. She pressed outstretched fingers on the left hand palm.

"That's it! Oreki's friends! Thank you, Mr. Sekitani!" she yelled, bowing down, hitting his head with her forehead so both let a painful yell.

"Oi, PC?" Junko muttered, as Chitanda opened the door.

"Yes?"

"My number is 081 865 4201. Do give me a call sometimes. Let's hang out!" she winked.

The persocom's eyes became concentrated.

"Number memorized! Alright, see you later! Thank you, and goodbye, Mr. Sekitani, Junko!"


	5. Mayaka the Manga Queen ( Bonus Chapter)

**Since I'm late again, I'll publish the bonus chapter. So, here it is. "Chitanda is curious!" is practically a short, bonus chapter while "Mayaka, the manga queen." is the canon.**

 **Chitanda is curious**

"You should stop going out before I tell you." Oreki sighed, dropping the voice down on the last word. He felt tired of chasing after her.

"But I wanted to find the meaning behind my memories! Wasn't that what you and Chitanda were doing in the beginning?!" Chitanda hollered.

Oreki sighed again, standing up. Placing a palm atop her shoulder, he simply said:

"You were stubborn like this before, too. There wasn't any use in trying to tell you not to do something. Just... be careful, alright?" he whispered.

"Of course. Chitanda won't disappear again!"

Later Chitanda sat at the side of the tub, holding the towel over her body. She called Oreki, because she needed somebody to brush her back, or at least the parts she was unable to reach herself.

"Oreki! Please, come!" she yelled. Oreki had just finished his evening coffee.

"What's… oh gods." he said as he opened the door. Chitanda's breasts were barely covered. One tiny trace of blood slipped away from his nose.

"Oreki, your nose is bleeding! Here, let me help!" she stumbled on her feet, pressing her breasts on his body as she cleaned his nose.

"You don't have to do it." he muttered as it became stronger and stronger.

Later, he was able to clean her back after all. Afterwards both of them snuggled together on the sofa, watching some old movie. It was a beautiful, but cliché thing and Oreki yawned, almost falling asleep. Unlike Chitanda, watching with the concentrated look and shining eyes.

"They're going to kiss, look, Oreki!" she pinched his arm.  
"Ugh, ah..? Oh yes, a kiss. Good for them..."he muttered.

"They've kissed! Oh my! They've did it, Oreki! Oreki! Oreki!" she was ecstatic, moving in his personal space, more and more, bit by bit.

"Chitanda..." he muttered, opening his eyes because he almost fell asleep, only to have his sight fully occupied by her overly curious, lilac eyes.

"Oreki..." she whispered, closing her eyes.

"Chitanda..." he passed his fingers through her hair, pressing his lips on her own. Her lips felt so real, soft, warm and sweet. Her breath was warm and he tasted her with all his being.

"Chitanda! Chitanda!" he yelled, and soon he realized that he's still on the sofa. Movie was still going on, with Chitanda absorbed over every normal sense.

"Oreki, you called?" she asked.

"No... nevermind." he cursed to his chin, sad over the fact that this was but a dream. When the TV started showing a scene where the pair had a wild sex on the bed, and Chitanda blushed, hiding her face, watching only with the corners of her eyes, Oreki started panicking. Because, he knew how curious Chitanda can get.  
"One... two... three.." Oreki started counting.

"Oreki!" and there it was.

"How are those people on the TV doing it?! Oreki! Tell me, Oreki! I'm curious!" She hollered, paused the video, almost touching his nose with her own.

"You ask that, even though you already know the answer." Oreki sighed.

"I've never done it before! Teach me, Master Oreki!"

"Enough! I can't teach you those things! I've..."

"Never done it, too? But you must know more! You know a lot!"

"Oh crap!"

Oreki stumbled through the room, turning his laptop on. He had managed to find a decent site with those videos, trying to find something which is remotely normal. And he found one video. It was showing two young people, one blonde girl and a young man, who have video-taped themselves. It was aptly called sex instructions.

"So... Chitanda. First thing you have to do is make a lot of kissing and cuddling, just like those two people are doing, now."

Chitanda was fixated on the screen, remembering every detail.

"Chitanda remembered! Continue!"

"Then a girl goes... down. And man enjoys it."

"Oooh. Isn't that dirty?"

"It is. But it feels good. And then, a man goes down." Oreki continued the video.

"Isn't this a place where we pee from? I didn't know you could do it." Chitanda whispered, in a fascination. Next scene showed a man, mounting his girl like an animal, from behind. Oreki realized that, indeed, he picked a wrong video.

"Ooh, so this is how you do it! I see! I'll memorize it!"

"No, that's wrong, you don't do it there!"

"You've never done it, you don't know!" Chitanda made a show-off face.

"I'm going to regret this..."

Chitanda thought this was all too interesting.

"Oreki, may we do it once?!" Chitanda asked.  
"No! I mean, not yet. I mean, why are you even asking?!"

"Because I'm curious!"

"Great..."

* * *

 **Mayaka, the manga queen**

Walking through the Kamiyama forest park, Oreki and Chitanda talked about the various things they've seen that day. Autumn was among the best days for taking a walk through the scenic route along the old temples, beneath the Sakura trees, along the lakeside and all the way around, back to the city core. It was a beautiful place, with misty tops of the mountains always somehow rising over the head, scenic routes through the forested parks, lakes which were warm and welcoming over spring days, but ruddy and romantic over autumn dawns. People of Kamiyama love this place, and with a good reason. Persocom seemed somehow calmer than before – first few days she seemed confused, but somehow now she started fitting in – and Oreki felt it inside. Actually, he felt guilty about recreating somebody so similar to her, but the guilt somehow disappeared, slowly but surely.

They've passed over the beautiful, wooden, arched bridge and followed the road down, and it somehow dipped between the trees. Air somehow became foggy, because the water rushed closely from both sides. This was a lovely part, and Oreki wanted this moment to last for an eternity. He wanted to embrace his future with her by his side. Feeling so blissful, he hasn't paid any notice to Mayaka and Satoshi walking from the other side.

"Hey, Oreki!" Satoshi waved.

"Hmph. He's being a fool." Mayaka turned her head around.

"Oh, Satoshi! How comes you're here? Aren't you two in Tokyo?" Oreki asked. Chitanda stopped and smiled, waving.

"We came back for a weekend, I've felt nostalgic and Mayaka followed. By the way, exposing your persocom next to the water sources can make her corrode. Cleaning is alright, and washing, but if she takes too much water in she can burn out." Satoshi factously said, holding his index up. Afterwards he used a napkin to brush Chitanda's face off and she giggled.

"It seems that you really know everything." Oreki sighed.

"Have you had any doubts?"

Mayaka was already tired of the small talk and she pulled Satoshi's hand. He turned around and she grabbed his palm.

"I'm tired, Satoshi. We should head back to the motel." She whispered, glancing to Oreki's side from time to time.

"But we've just-Oh. I see. Alright. Oreki, I'm sorry, Mayaka's tired. We'll go back to the motel."

Oreki gulped, feeling the embarrassment of his upcoming question. His motto was after all based on energy conservation.

"Can I… go with you? We haven't had any chance to hang out as we did before." Oreki asked, staring at his feet. Mayaka's face darkened and she pulled Satoshi again, this time even stronger.

"I'm… sorry, Oreki. But Mayaka was asked to draw manga for the Kamiyama High-school annual festival, and she has to concentrate on her work." Satoshi uttered.

"Oh, Mayaka! That's great!" Oreki cheered. But Mayaka simply turned around, pulling Satoshi back.

"Bye, Oreki!" he hollered, being pulled further and further away.

PC simply watched both of them, somehow worried and confused. Taking Oreki's hand, she pierced him with a familiar look.

"Oreki! Mayaka's angry at you! What have you done?"

"I haven't done anything. She's the one acting strange." Oreki facted out. But Chitanda pressed even tighter, and he walked back, more, and more.

"Oreki, you say that, but there's doubt in your eyes! And she's there, walking away! I wonder why! I'm…"

"Let me guess… you're curious?"

"That's Oreki for you!"

* * *

Small apartment smelled like macaroni and cheese. PC cooked well, Satoshi remembered to install the software. So, Oreki lounged in the room, feeling the breeze on his face. Smells of food were mouth-watering, combined with the various autumn scents from outside. Chitanda hummed some tune, and as she finally finished cooking he got up with a gluttonous look, preparing himself for enjoying this well-made serving. PC smiled, feeling good about his positive demeanor – she reckoned he wasn't feeling like this for quite a long period of time.

"Damn, I wasn't feeling this content for a long period of time." Oreki muttered, confirming Chitanda's thoughts. Later he sat at the couch, daydreaming while looking at the ceiling. Chitanda sat at his right side, placing chin on her palm.

"Oreki?" she whispered.

"I was thinking for quite some time, and I can't help not to get curious! Who was Chitanda, actually? What was she like? What has happened between you two that made you so close? What's the meaning behind that feeling? I know you could tell me, you're smart. But I want to find this one out myself. If I have some questions, and if something strange happens, will you help me, though?"

"Ugh… alright… fine." Oreki whimpered, feeling that his resting time came to the tragic end.

"First question is this!"

Oreki jumped up in shock, feeling the cold fingers of tragedy grasping his throat.

"Why does Mayaka hate you?" she curiously asked.

"I don't know. If I knew I would've told you back then." Oreki turned his head around, not wanting to face her inquisitive look.

"I can quite remember how smart you were in the high-school, Oreki! That's why you will help me to solve this mystery, right?! And maybe I can learn more about Chitanda that way, too!"

"Um, Chitanda, we can-"

"Yay! We're solving a mystery!" she hollered… and like every time, he simply had to comply.

 _Later that day..._

"Mayaka and I were pretty close in the high-school, despite our different viewpoints. She always worked hard, and I've done what I had to, being conservative as I am."

Oreki explained, drawing Mayaka and himself as a pair of stick figures. Mayaka had an angry glare, and Oreki had a bored look on his scribbly face.

"So you haven't been enemies in the high-school, right?" Chitanda asked, curiously inspecting his drawing.

"I… we haven't been friends in the beginning. I think Mayaka thought I was wasting my potential."

"Maybe she thinks this now, too?"

"I know she does, but she knows about my nature. Besides, she wouldn't be this angry. There's something more." Oreki whispered, staring through the window.

"Maybe she liked you?"

"Gimme a break."

"Sorry!"

"Anyway… the list of reasons why she's angry at me can be long. But the best way to solve this mystery is to ask Mayaka herself." Oreki logically concluded.

"Well… you're her friend, right?"

"It's obvious I can't be the one to ask. She doesn't even want to be close to me."

He said, standing up, opening the window shutters. Fresh evening breeze flew through the room and Chitanda made a funny noise, rubbing her hands with both palms.

"Maybe I can be the one to ask?" Chitanda stood up.

"But… I…"

"You?" she walked beside.

"I can't let you wander off again." he muttered, not being able to face her.

Chitanda huffed, turning her head around, just a little bit. And then she quickly turned it back.

"I'm not a child, Oreki! I'm a fully functional, intelligent persocom! I' m quite self-aware, you know?"

"I didn't meant-"

"I'm going to ask. I'm too curious!"

"But you don't even know where she lives!"

"That's why _you're_ going to tell me."

* * *

Next day came soon, and as the daylight broke the clouds Oreki woke up all alone. Again, persocom wasn't here and he thought how problematic it was to have such a curious friend. Somehow, he grew a disdain for the overwhelming curiosity over time. But, as much as he hated the fact that curiosity led to her death, in the end he was glad to have her back, same as she was before.

At the same time, persocom was walking through the streets in her same, red kimono, following the carefully memorized path, being sure not to stray far away from it. Hotel where Mayaka and Satoshi stayed was some three miles away from Kamiyama, and was definitively very luxurious, or so Chitanda reckoned as she sat in the taxi and it started moving away, in the direction of seashore.

Taxist was very quiet and it made her curious. Why was he so silent? Why was his face so glum? Why isn't he feeling very welcoming? How long is he driving? She reckoned it might be interesting to ask.

"Taxist, why're you so silent? Why is your face so glum? I'm curious!" she ushered, grabbing the seat with both hands, placing her face next to his. He blushed red, lowering his beret a little bit.

"Too much talking makes me nauseous." he said under the voice, still trying to be professional and concentrated, as Chitanda's face came nearer and nearer.

"Tell me. I'm curious." she whispered in his ear.

"I-I have to watch the road! You're making me nervous!" he uttered.

"You're making me curious!"

"I'm going to pay you double for interfering with my work!"

"I'm having a lot of money!"

Driver whimpered, finally giving up.

"Alright, I'll tell you, but when I do, please leave me be!"

"Su-re!"

Taxist pressed the brake and Chitanda almost hit the seat, somehow holding herself in the place with her palms. He turned the engine off, rolling the windows down. Scent of brine and morning dew filled the cabin.

"My wife bought a persocom, almost a year ago. He was to be our personal butler… but that thing had a free will, I tell you. There was something vicious in his black eyes; I just knew it from the start. In the end he… he made her fell in love, and she had no way to resist – those things are made perfect. She left me for that thing just a month ago – taking our child away. Now, I'm only a driver, trying to make some living by myself."

Chitanda looked down, feeling guilty and sad.

"I'm sorry…" she uttered.

"It isn't your fault. People are weak when faced with perfection. Should've realized that before. Come on now, you're going to be late for your appointment."

But Chitanda couldn't help but to be plagued by her thoughts. Just as she ordered, taxi left her in front of the Mihama American village. Hotel was surely there, built on the seashore. And it was definitively a luxurious one. Having only a hotel name, she walked to the lobby through the sliding, glass doors. Even the lobby looked luxurious, with the white walls and counter.

"I need a number of the room rented by the one named Fukube Satoshi." Chitanda recited, walking to the counter. Woman which worked her blushed, placing a hand over her chest.

"My, what a cute persocom! I have one just like you at my home! Sure, wait a minute!" woman uttered, humming as she walked to the backside, taking a large, thin tablet. She perused through the guest name list as Chitanda waited.

"Have you found it?" PC politely asked.

"Right… here! He's in the room number 808, on the eight floor. Might I ask, why do you need him?" she inquired.

"Resolving a personal issue! Oreki wants to know!"

"I see… this Oreki certainly seems like a lousy man, sending his persocom all alone."

"She can't go! Mayaka hates him, so he can't go!"

"Sure, sure. Good luck!" woman hollered as Chitanda walked away to the elevator.

It was a huge hotel, but she knew how to work the elevator. Soon enough, she was up there. Eight floor was a spacious hallway with the marble white walls and the modern looking doors, everywhere around. She walked beside the large, round, glass windows, finally stopping right in front of the room 808. Pressing a button which served as the doorbell, Chitanda was waiting for somebody to come out.

"Yes?" a female voice came from inside.

"It's Chitanda! Open up!"

"Forget it." she uttered, leaving confused Chitanda standing like that, in front of the doors.

"What's wrong? We were friends, right? Memories about you are programmed inside of me!"

Chitanda's face grew more and more worried as she stood like that, touching the tips of her red, persocom ears. She smiled in relief as Mayaka opened the doors, but her smile disappeared as she saw her friend. She had a messy hair, her make-up was smeared all over her face and she had a menacing stare in her eyes.

"Programmed, right?" she angrily growled.

"Yes! But I want to learn more about Chitanda, because Oreki-"

"Programmed?!"

"As I said, I was made exactly as-"

"Shut up! You're not her! You're not Chitanda! Oreki's deluding himself if he thinks his happiness will last like this! You shouldn't even exist… you, you nature perversion! Get out of this hotel and tell Oreki I'll never talk to him again!" Mayaka screamed in her face, slamming the doors right in front of Chitanda's face. Chitanda felt such a horrible emptiness inside of her. Indeed, Chitanda was a persocom. But she was programmed with the most modern technology which made her self-aware just as the every other real human being. In fact, she was a pinnacle of technological marvel – on par with legendary Chobits. And Chitanda cried, feeling hopeless and sad.


	6. Mayaka regrets

**Mayaka regrets**

"Mayaka! Please, open up! I know everything; I know I'm not her! But I just want to learn about her! I'm curious!" Chitanda wailed. Waiting became too long, and she heard Satoshi's voice as he argued over something. Mayaka screamed right back, and it was like that for a full ten minutes before Chitanda overheard Mayaka's painful sob. This crying sound went on for the ten more minutes before it stopped and footsteps grew nearer and nearer. Mayaka opened the door, and her eyes were swollen and red.

"Here." Chitanda politely offered her a napkin and Mayaka took it, brushing her eyes off. Without saying anything she took her inside. It was a spacious, marble walled room with a queen sized bed, huge plasma panel, terrace window which had a beautiful view of the sea colored by the city lights and overly luxurious feeling about it. Mayaka was here alone; Chitanda saw Satoshi standing against the night sky, looking at the ocean.

"So… you want to know about Chitanda Eru, right? What good would that do for you?" Mayaka asked. Chitanda noticed another door, and through them she saw a working table with a lot of papers and pencils.

"I have a dozen of memories in my mind, but they're all confusing and make no sense. I've been chatting with her uncle, Sekitani Jun. He said Chitanda was curious, and I remembered that she had a deep respect as much as a pinch of curiosity about his true past."

"Chitanda, Oreki, Satoshi and me worked on a case named Hyouka. Apparently, she had a memory about crying because of something her uncle told her. But she couldn't remember what it was. In the end, it was because of the unjust way Sekitani Jun, her uncle, was expelled. He had no way to fight against it. He became a scapegoat. Realizing how horrible it must be to be alive, but dead at the same time, unable to scream, young Chitanda cried. And the older one cried back then too, remembering the real reason behind her tears."

"Alive… but dead at the same time. It's… a painful thing." Personal Chitanda looked down; her eyes looked somehow empty for a moment. But as she raised them up, emptiness disappeared, again.

"You want to remember about Chitanda? What do you want to know?"

"Why does Oreki love her so much? What was the reason behind all those happy feelings I have whenever I see him?" Chitanda asked, clenching her fists. Mayaka sat down on the bed, looking somewhere in the distance.

"He owes her, a lot. Chitanda was… a simple minded girl, but not a stupid person. She knew about Oreki's abilities and Oreki's talents. Which he was wasting by being overly lazy. And Chitanda went through a lot to make him use those talents, for her own lenience and because she cared for him. I think that Oreki wanted somebody to drag him out of the vicious circle he got himself into. And Chitanda did just that."

"And what about Chitanda? Why does she like Oreki so much?"

"It's mutual, persocom. Or it was… Chitanda wanted somebody to solve the mystery which plagued her for a long, long time. And Oreki's abilities were enough to do it. I think that Chitanda relied, a lot, on him. He was a person who would've never let her down, no matter what. And she felt secure when she was at his side. Their bond was one of the trust, of duty, of friendship… basically everything which makes love what it is."

"I see… it certainly makes sense. Whenever I think about my feelings about Oreki, they're always full of deep respect and care. But I haven't understood why, until now. Thank you!"

Chitanda chirped.

"Good, now you can go home and tell Oreki that you've learned about the nature of your feelings. Go on, have little persocom babies and… never mind, just go."

"I have another question before I go!"

Mayaka suddenly felt just as Oreki did, in the high school. She just wanted to be alone, but she knew how curious Chitanda was. And she was unable to tell her off.

"Alright… ask." Mayaka felt sad, remembering how much she loved old Chitanda, and how deep their friendship was. This…thing in front of her felt so unnatural.

"Why do you hate Oreki?" she curiously, politely inquired. Mayaka stood up, making a circle around the room before she finally sat back. Fixing the border of her oversized t-shirt, she whispered:"I don't hate him. I'm just annoyed by him. Ever since high school he has been a lazy good-for-nothing who had a pure luck to be born with a huge intelligence, which made him able to pass through every problem without making any effort. But… I secretly admired his skills, his problem-solving ability. I wanted to be like him. When the high-school ended up, I wanted to continue being his friend. To think that I thought I would be glad to get rid of him! I was such a fool! If I was at his side, maybe he-maybe he never would…" Mayaka whimpered, starting to cry as a baby.

"What's wrong, Mayaka?"

Mayaka managed to calm herself down for a moment, taking a deep breath.

"Oreki made a choice. He bought that car so he can visit Chitanda every day, since they lived far away from each other. Oreki was obsessed with her, already then wasting his grades and potential because he wanted a life with her. Oreki completely failed his own life because of some stupid feelings! I was always thinking 'Oh, Mayaka, Oreki's a fool. You can't help him. You can't bring him on the right path, he's smarter than you. Besides, Oreki thinks you dislike him. You stupid Mayaka, failing at everything you do. Life and friendships, both.' And so I stopped paying notice. To him, and to her because of sheer bitterness. In the end, Chitanda died. It was my fault… right… right? If I only had more strength to at least try, maybe Oreki would never buy that car. And right now, he's suffering even more! He's such an idiot! Instead of moving on, he's back in the past! I can't stand it! I can't look at it anymore!"

Chitanda looked down, taking Mayaka's palms in her own, since she looked like she was on the edge of tears again.

"You can come with me. We can talk to Oreki and you can confess your feelings. Oreki doesn't hate you. He's confused because of your anger."

"I can't! I can't look in his eyes; it was my fault that his life is destroyed! I've failed my duty as his friend!"  
Satoshi came in the room, with a darkened look on his face.

"It's a dumb joke, Mayaka. Do you truly believe that? You haven't failed at anything. Chitanda's death was a set of unlucky events, out of everybody's power. Nobody was able to change it. Now go, right now." he ordered with a cold voice.

"Satoshi…"

"Just go!"

* * *

Realizing that she can, indeed, do something, Mayaka's heart started racing. Jumping on her feet, she quickly pulled her leggings on, finding her shoes soon afterwards. After quickly fixing her make-up, she said a quick goodbye to Satoshi, following Chitanda back to the big lobby.

"Will we have to take another taxi?" Chitanda asked as they went to the parking lot, crowded with various colorful cars which reminded her on gummy bears.

"No, I know how to drive. Come on!" Mayaka yelled, but as soon as she neared the car, her heart dropped. She turned back to Chitanda, remembering the day when she died.

"Chitanda trusted you, so I trust you too." Chitanda took her palm. Mayaka smiled, trying to hold back her tears. The Sedan type car was white colored and big, a combination of retro and modern outlook. Chitanda reckoned the car was very expensive. Looking at her confused face, Mayaka explained.

"Satoshi is very rich. This is his car, but I know how to drive, too."

Big car was sturdy, but fast and Chitanda enjoyed how comfortable and luxurious it was with its tinted windows and built in monitors. It even had one tiny, mobile persocom which sat on the dashboard, waving her legs. She wore simple, white overalls, having a long, white hair and the red eyes.

"A persocom?!" Chitanda hollered, looking at the tiny being.

"Her name is Miki. Satoshi bought her, he's using her as the GPS system in his car. She's quite adorable, too." Mayaka factously said. She started the engine, turning the key around. There wasn't a single sound from the engine – car was that silent.

"Miki, give me the coordinates for the Kamiyama college dorm!" Mayaka ordered her persocom, and her eyes suddenly became alive.

"Yes, mistress! Kamiyama college dorm, 5 kilometers from here, to the east. Do you need to add some more details?" she cutely chirped with a mature voice.

"No, that will do."

"Next intersection comes within 500 meters. When you reach it, turn right."

They've found their way to the college dorm, old building, built somewhere around eighties. It had unimaginative walls with boring windows, plain, yellow walls and overall, looked inconspicuous. The lot was surrounded by the big pine trees.

"You've reached the Kamiyama college dorm! Congratulations, you've reached your destination!" Miki chirped, jumping in joy.

"Thanks, Miki!"

"Thank you, little Miki!" Chitanda gave her hand, and Miki yelped, biting it. Chitanda yelped – she was, also, programmed to feel pain.

"She's afraid of the strangers, by the way." Mayaka was already out of the car so she bent down to the cabin, to look at the situation which had transpired.

Oreki was all alone in his room, right now. He was staring at the ceiling, feeling lonely as he awaited Chitanda's return. Turning around to his side, he stared at the distance. It was a depressing feeling, and he hated it. Even as he heard some car parking in front of the dorm, he knew it couldn't be her. She would either be back on foot, or not at all. The second option was very unwelcoming. He stood up, putting the water for the coffee in the pot, watching the blue flickering flames of the stove. It made him somehow sleepy, and his eyes started closing down. When they closed, he saw Chitanda's face as it was before. Her beautiful, iridescent eyes, just as she was before. He imagined two of them growing old together, having children, living a beautiful life, until the death tears them apart… death which came too early.

"Oreki…" he'd heard her voice, just as it was before.

"Chitanda… please, come back…" he uttered.

"Oreki, I'm here, are you alright? Are you sleeping?" As he opened his eyes up, he saw Chitanda with two red ears looking at his eyes, inspecting his forehead.

"Persocom… I mean, Chitanda, you're here…" Oreki muttered.

"Yes! I've learned a lot, lot about Chitanda! I understand her feelings now, Oreki! I can love you without a doubt now. We can be happy together!" Chitanda hugged him tight. What was she thinking at this moment?

" _Oreki and I will finally be together! I can finally understand those feelings inside of my heart! He cared for her, and she cared for him. The reason is mutual trust and bond of friendship, as much as the amount Chitanda owed him. I can finally make master Oreki happy!"_

And what was Oreki thinking, feeling the scent of Chitanda's hair as he held her in the embrace?

" _I will never tell her how I feel right now. I've always wanted to have her back, but for real. I've spent ten years wishing things weren't the same as back then. With all her similarities, this is still just a persocom. And still… I can't help but feeling happy. I'm feeling so confused!"_

They remained embraced nonetheless, and as they moved away from each other Oreki caught a glimpse of somebody else with the corner of his eye. That somebody stood aside the door, obviously too embarrassed. He gave Chitanda a confused look.

"Mayaka, come inside!" Chitanda called out.

"I-Is it alright for me.. to come in?" she muttered.

"Yes, come!"

Oreki's confusion doubled. Wasn't Mayaka hating him? What does she want now? A woman came inside, looking at her feet. Her face harbored a shameful look as she heavily blushed, not even trying to hide how insecure she felt.

"Oreki… I want to talk with you." she uttered, barely being able to push the words out of her mouth.

"What's this about?"

"Oreki... I'm… sorry." she muttered, still not facing him directly.

"About what?" he was still confused. Mayaka stood by the kitchen counter, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Oreki… do you hate me?" she whimpered.

"I've never hated you, Mayaka. Why?"

Mayaka looked at him, still being on the edge of tears.

"You're still so lenient, after all this time… I've been your friend; I could've been by your side. I could've told you off when you bought that car! I could've been with you when you were missing her! Why are you not angry?! Be angry at me! Hate me! Don't hate yourself, hate me instead!" she started yelling, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I don't hate you, Mayaka. It was my choice… and I don't have anybody else to hate." he explained, not fully realizing why she got so emotional and angry.

"You fool! You idiot! Hate me! I've destroyed your life, and Chi-chan's too, I've been too careless, I haven't thought about you as my friend until it was too late! I was selfish! Please!" she screamed.

Oreki walked forward, doing something unusual. Embracing his friend, he caressed her hair as she cried her eyes out, clutching to his simple t-shirt.

"You idiot… please… don't hate yourself anymore… It was my fault.." she sobbed.

"It's over, Mayaka. You don't have to blame yourself anymore. It's over." Oreki calmly said. Mayaka continued crying, though.

"I miss her, oh god, I miss her so much! Why can't she be back, Oreki?! Things could've just remained the same!" she still sobbed.

"Chitanda told me something, once. She said that living while being dead inside was worse than being really dead. I'm sure that she wouldn't want us to be like this. All this time, I was thinking it was my fault, blamed myself. But in this short time, being with her again, I've realized that what mattered was the time that we've spent with her. We can't bring her back, for real. But we can be grateful for everything she had given us. I don't hate myself anymore… I think that I'm slowly coming to terms with it."

"Are you… sure? You're not going to be lazy anymore? You're going to resume your college?"

Oreki laughed.

"My motto will always be the same. If I don't have to do something, I won't do it. If I have to do something, I'll do it quickly. But, I'll still do it. With my friends by my side again, by her at my side again, although she's only a persocom… I think I'll manage." he smiled.

"Fool." she turned her head aside, but still she looked happy.

* * *

 **Part 1**

 **epilogue**

Chitanda connected all of the memories which were but a mix of various pictures before. Where she was puzzled, now she felt sure and her feelings were genuine. Even though she still was a persocom, Chitanda started getting used to it. Oreki accepted her just as she was, and what's most important, he didn't thought about her as real Chitanda. Persocom Chitanda couldn't bear to see him crying because something which might happen to her, sooner or later. After all, every persocom's just a machine.

Oreki decided – he's going to resume his college studies. It was a lot of work, definitively. He had such a long way to go before returning to where he was before – but it was a chance he was eager to use. After all, it's better to start at your late twenties than to not start at all. Also, he wanted to start going out. At one of those going outs he, also, met Junko for the first time.

Mayaka still struggled with her manga art. But the Kamiyama high school festival went great, her manga was praised – and the best of all, she was paid handsomely. Also, she continued sending packages to Kodansha, in hopes she will one day really be recognized. That, still, continued being a dream she was eager to pursue, no matter how hard she tried. After coming to terms with Chitanda's death, her anger somehow diminished and she was more approachable – something which Satoshi and Oreki both noticed.

And about Satoshi? He remained the same. Following the events which have transpired, him and Mayaka both have returned to Tokyo, and he continued touring around the world, enjoying his lucky youth.

They've all been sure this happiness will last, for a long, long period of time. But when does it ever happen?

 _Continuing to the Part 2_


	7. Rabid dogs, rabid fans

**Sorry for being a bit late, again. :/**

* * *

 **Part 2**

 **My love is a stapler**

 _For the while I took your existence for granted  
And I thought that we would always, always be together  
As days go by_

 _I'm sorry I only now realized:_

 _that it really isn't the case_

 _So to start things off I have to tell you these two words  
"Thank you"_

* * *

 **Rabid dogs, rabid fans**

" _And, oh my god, ya just have to hear this! A whole voice acting cast, like, all of them are having the concert! I just have to be there! And you're going to come!"_

Chitanda sat frozen in spot, talking in a familiar voice. Obviously, somebody was using her as a telephone. Upon hearing the last sentence, Oreki's face freezed and he almost fell on the butt.

"Are you serious?! Aren't those girls like, thirty and something now? And besides, concerts are such a pain in the ass." Oreki muttered.

" _I'll go, whether ya'll want to come with me or not! Call me rat's uncle if I don't go there, Oreki!"_

"Yeah... I'm still kind of trying to understand your obsession."

" _Oreki, Oreki... there are two things about fans ya'll have to understand. First: they're completely loyal. Second, never call their passion an obsession!"_

 _"_ Yeah, yeah. But people are usually obsessed about sports, or reading... you know."

" _Comes from the Mr. Lethargy. Anyway, K-on is not just an ordinary anime! It's a way of life!"_

"Junko, K-on is... nevermind. Too much explaining is bothersome."

" _Good, then I don't have to explain! Ya'll go and see it for yerself!"_

 _"_ I haven't said anything about-"

" _Ooh, I can't wait! I can't wait! I will finally see Aki Toyosaki, and Youko Hikasa, and Minato Kotobuki and Satomi Satou and of course Ayana Taketatsu! Oh god, I'm so excited! Say, Oreki, I've already ordered two cards, so will we meet in front of the stadium in Mihama?"_

"But I-I haven't-"

" _Good! It seems we have a deal! Now, I'll have to order our t-shirts, and buy some food, and where is that hat... oh, there it is! Anyway, talk to ya later, Oreki! By-e!"_

 _"_ Junko, wait! Junko!" he yelled, but the next sound he'd heard was just a faint click and Chitanda went back to the normal.

"Oh god, Chitanda, I'm screwed..." Oreki fell on his knees, looking depressed.

"Master Oreki, I'm sure it will be good for you!" Chitanda smiled, trying to cheer him up.

"But I don't even know any of those songs! And there will be so many people, and I'll have to jump, and sing! Concerts are way too much pain in the ass!"

Chitanda browsed the interweb, trying to obtain some information.

"Master Oreki, I've found three thousand songs, ten thousand web pages, and twenty thousand pictures related to the term K-on!"

"I don't want to know..." he muttered, feeling absolutely hopeless. Needless to say, animated story about five cute girls forming a band, but doing generally nothing at all interested him as much as the staring at the wall.

"It seems that the fans are not interested in the story, as much as in emotional investment with characters." Chitanda answered his unexistant question.

"Why would I be interested in somebody elses life, in general? I'm not some kind of creep, my life is enough entertainment for me."

"You're having a persocom." she factously said.

„You're right... wait, what?"

„Nevermind! Anyway, what do you want to know about the term?"

„Let's see... nothing! I simply want to..."

„Escape? Oreki..." Chitanda stood up, crouching next to him. His stare was somehow lost.

„Are you afraid of people?" she asked.

„Concerts are just too bothersome... especially concerts like that one."

„She's your friend. You're not the type to let your friends down."

In fact, Oreki, Chitanda and Junko have been going out for some time now. And somehow, Oreki started going out with the girl. Chitanda was against it at the beggining, but seeing how Oreki wasn't having any plans of commitment, she calmed down and accepted it.

Besides, it was good for him; when Oreki was happy, Chitanda was happy too.

Around eight PM, when Chitanda went to wash herself and Oreki occupied himself with searching through the internet forums, somebody suddenly stormed in, almost crashing the doors down. Oreki's chance for turning around came too slow, and the whole world suddenly darkened.

„What the hell?!" he screamed, feeling fingers around his eyes.

„Guess who?!" voice with a strong Kansai dialect.

„Junko... learn how to knock." Oreki muttered. Junko let his eyes go, placing palms on the table, staring at the laptop screen. Her black hair for a moment touched his shoulder and he shuddered. Girl was way, way too energetic. Even worse than Chitanda. Right now she wore white t-shirt with lilac star and beaming, white HTT letters. Of course, her neck was adorned with the oversized, pink headset.

„4-chan, 4-chan! I see, Oreki! Ya're that kind of person!"

„It's private!" he tried hiding his PC.

„Tsk, tsk, tsk. Anyway, Oreki! I came here to show ya something." her yellow eyes beamed. Oreki thought, for just a moment, how beautiful her amber, big eyes were. But it was just a second, and then the thought disappeared.

„What is it you want to show?" he sighed. She pulled her shirt up, lowering her leggings, revealing a part of her panties. They were white, with baby blue strips. Oreki covered his face to hide a nosebleed.

„W-what the hell, Junko?!" he screamed.

„Eh, what's wrong? Don't you like them? They're the same as Mio's having..." Junko looked depressed.

„Junko... you don't show your panties to everybody around, you know?"

„It's same as bikini, Oreki! Or you're a viirgin~?" she mused.

„I hate you..." he muttered.

„Aren't ya a tsundere? That's so adorable! Lemme pinch those cheeks!" she actually pinched Oreki's cheeks. And again, as many times before, Oreki wished Chitanda never met this particular, annoying girl. As Junko stood with her leggings down, Chitanda came in the room with the towel wrapped around her body.

„Oreki, can you help me wash my... back?"

Chitanda's face was dazzled as she stared with the opened mouth, trying to make some sense out of this scene. The feeling she had inside of her chest was empty; She felt almost like somebody punched her in the face. Her mouth opened in a feeble attempt to ask for the explanation, but the words haven't found a way out. Of course, Oreki saw her, and Junko quickly pulled her leggings up.

„Oups." she muttered.

„Chitanda! It's not what you think it is! Junko was just-„

„Showing you her panties. Oreki, what's the meaning of this?" she uttered with a shaky voice.

„It's nothing. She just busted in, bragging how she bought panties. I wasn't able to-„

„Resist? Figures..." she looked down and her eyes became empty.

„I wasn't asking her to do so! She's done it on her own!"

„Oreki, you've lied to me! You said she was your friend! Why have you done this? Just how comfortable is she around you to do _this?!_ Friends don't do such things!" she screamed, as her lips fluttered. Junko was fairly confused by all of this. Besides, seeing how close Oreki and Chitanda were, she wasn't having any plans of intruding. She barely knew the guy, they've been out a few times but it wasn't anything serious, not yet.

„Might I... go? I'm feeling very uncomfortable." she uttered.

„Get out!" Chitanda screamed.

„Well, so-rry." she uttered with a hurt voice, hurrying out of the apartment.

Oreki felt broken – how was he to explain this, now? He wasn't lying, of course, but when catching somebody dear to you in such a situation, what else could she think? So he simply brushed the bloody stream from his chin, trying to offer some kind of explanation.

„Chitanda, I've never lied to you! I swear!" Oreki stood up. Much to his confusion, her eyes for a moment burned with a rage so strong that it scared him. Suddenly she smiled widely, and all the fire disappeared from her eyes. They were absolutely empty as she tottered closer, and closer. One of her ears opened and the red, long wire came out of it, grasping his throat. He tried removing it, but it kept pressing stronger, and stronger. Oreki was unable to breath and he started panicking.

„If I ever see you doing such things with another girl, I'm going to kill her. I swear. And then, I'm going to kill you, too." she uttered. Her personality absolutely changed – it felt like some monster was standing in front of him, rather than annoying, innocent girl. Oreki gulped, feeling her menacing stare.

„I won't! I swear!"

„Good. You're only mine, Oreki. Mine."

Pressing of wire against his throat weakened, and it disappeared back in her ear. Chitanda tottered here and there, and in the next second she lost her consciousness.

* * *

Unknown room - absolute darkness. Only light came from the various green, yellow and blue buttons everywhere around – and the huge screen which showed various numbers. Two men stood in front of it, dark shadows in front of the shifting codes.

„I bring you the report, sir!" second man suddenly said.

„Yes, what's it about?" first person asked.

„Project Mantis is going exactly as planned, sir. It seems like he opened the Pandora's box."

„Good... now he's going to have to show how much, exactly, he cares about her."

„But sir, the project is dangerous! If the cortisol level inside of her reaches the critical level, she's going to-„

„Mind your place! I know what I'm doing. If he doesn't care, he doesn't deserve her. No, he doesn't deserve to live. Just like mantis, she's going to devour him, whole."

„A fitting name, sir."

„Of course. My plan is perfect."


	8. Day of the concert

**Day of the concert**

Days have literally drifted away. Quite literally, as Oreki realized when the Sunday came, the day of the concert. He stood in front of the mirror, feeling anxious. Chitanda already prepared herself, wearing a simple, white t-shirt and blue skirt, along with knee high, girly but stylish boots.

„Do I look good, Oreki?" she asked, prancing in front of him.

„Um, yeah... you always do." his mouth barely formed a sentence, stopped by the huge knot formed in his throat.

„Don't be nervous! It's going to be fine!"

„Well, I've spent last five days listening to those songs on repeat. And still, I only got annoyed. Those shrieky voices, and girlish melody." Oreki grumped.

„I think it's adorable! Especially that one, Fluffy fluffy time." Chitanda sung to herself.

„That one is the worst!"

„Why? They're going to be great!"

„Sometimes I want to become a shellfish..." Oreki got even more depressed.

Night before, Oreki had a dream. His mind wouldn't have labeled it as an important thing, if not for the dreadful feeling of Destiny, which clawed into his mind, leaving a fiery sign branded in his thoughts. It provoked him, making him anxious – what was to happen, that made him dream such vivid, real events? He pondered upon the meaning even that Sunday, as he drank his coffee, enjoying the peace of the autumn dawn.

In his dream, he was at the familiar Kamiyama square. He felt his breath, his beating heart, burning smell and the most troubling sound. It was eerie, at least, akin to the sounds of TV static, crackling and wheezing. It was so loud that the very ground started shaking. Turning to his side, he saw Junko, panicking as she pointed somewhere in the distance. With all the loud noise, her voice was inaudible. Oreki barely recognized the word she mouthed. Raising his head up, his heart filled with the dread.

A large, menacing, praying mantis loomed high in the air, as high as the skyscraper. It was grey, with many legs and somehow skeletal form. Eyes weren't really bug like – they looked like two gleaming, green reflectors above the dark hole which suggested mouth, full of horrifying, huge teeth. He tried running away, but it caught him. He was just a snack. As he woke up, he thanked every god that exists on his life.

Now, as they walked towards the station, waiting for the ordered taxi, Oreki saw the exact same square and somehow the dread overwhelmed him, all over again. As much as he wanted to believe that this was a dream, it felt too real. Chitanda noticed that, and she took his palm, with a worried look in her amethyst eyes.

"Master Oreki… you're in a great distress. What's happened? Tell me!" she plunged herself right on his chest, looking at him with her recognizable, inquisitive stare.

"It doesn't matter! You shouldn't worry yourself."

But she simply remained like this, glimmer in her eyes still as strong as before. As much as Oreki tried ignoring, her stare was too inquisitive. Ignoring eye contact was useless – it stared right into his very soul, into the very core of his being. Those were little Chitanda demons, nibbling on his heart, on his nerve system.

"Alright, I'll tell you!" he yelled, and she smiled widely, intently listening as he explained his dream to her. As the story about his dream progressed onwards, Chitanda's face was more and more worried. In the end, her stare looked somehow confused and sad at the same time. As she raised her eyes, they looked somehow different. Oreki felt same as he did before she almost choked him. His gut told him to run, but he couldn't. As she started talking, it almost felt as she was a different person. It almost felt like Chitanda herself possessed the persocom, taking over her being.

"Oreki…." she whispered.

"Yes?"

"Please, don't leave me alone again. I'm afraid. I don't want to feel cold anymore, Oreki. You said you will always protect me… why have you killed me?" she muttered.

"Chi… persocom Chitanda, what's wrong?"

"You will protect me, right?" she looked him dead in the eyes, and Oreki felt horrible. That same fear grew even stronger. It felt really unnatural. He felt judged, like he's done something which he shouldn't. In the end, finally, taxi came and with the headlights flashing over them, Chitanda was soon reverted to her old, persocom self.

"Master Oreki, the taxi is here! I can't wait, let's go!" she grabbed his hand, pulling him in the taxi. Throughout the way there, she remained as she was before and he felt absolutely relieved.

Mihama stadium was a big place – modern, western looking building. Of course, Junko was already waiting there, with a large paper bag. It had a print of five, cute looking anime girls. Text above it said – We'll always be together, written in hiragana. She had the black, Lolita dress and had her black hair redone to look like one of the girls on the bag. Even her make-up looked the same.

"Howdie, Oreki! Whaddup? I see, I see, even your persocom's here! This'll be so fun!" she hollered. Oreki wasn't feeling it.

"Let's just get on with it..." Oreki muttered.

"Concerts are fun, right? Right? Right, Chitanda?" Junko hollered.

"I'm looking forward to it!" Chitanda smiled.

"You're the woman after my own heart! Oreki, ya'll have to wear this..." Junko waltzed to him, rummaging through her paper bag until she produced a simple, white t-shirt with the indigo star and booming HTT letters.

"No way!" he protested. Her face went disappointed for a moment.

"Come on, feel the atmosphere! I promise ya, it'll be fun!" she took his hands, looking him straight in the eyes. They had the same, insistent stare so Oreki reckoned it ran in Eru family. And it was irresistible.

"I get it, I get it. I'll wear it, alright?"

"Yay!"

It was absolutely crowded. People were almost standing on each other's head – they definitively would if it was possible. All sitting and standing places were full, there wasn't any place left. Oreki shuddered as he realized that the most of the crowd consisted of men in their thirties, many of them overweight, many of them looking like they've seen the concert for the first time. Girls were rare here. He swore he saw one guy taking an up-skirt photo of some tragically unaware girl. What made him cringe worst is that the girl was barely thirteen.

"I so want to punch him..." Oreki muttered to himself, clenching his fist. Guy continued taking photos, grinning to himself.

"What's wrong, Oreki-ya?" Junko asked in her Kansai dialect.

"Nothing… punching every pervert in this place would take more than the one night. It's too much of a job to even try."

Junko audibly laughed at his remark, looking around herself.

"K-on is a seinen anime, Oreki. Its targeted audience is males, between twenty and fifty years old. Of course, most of the fan-base consists of thirty year olds with the Lolita complex. I don't care, though. Ya'll be wise to ignore them, too. There are creepy guys everywhere." she smirked, making a wink to the up-skirt guy.

"Watch this." she added. Putting a palm over her mouth, she winked again, making a suggestive lick between her fingers. Guy turned around. "MY TIME HAS COME!" he probably thought, hurrying forward to meet Junko. He was all shaky, without any self-confidence, and had a weird smell – like grandma's soap. Oreki cringed, taking Chitanda with himself.

"Y-you're a real hottie! Yash, I'm such a lucky guy! Say, I've a flat and my momma is working night shift. We can watch anime together!" he hollered.

"Ya're a real find, after all. Of course, I wouldn't mind doing _it,_ with a guy like ya." Junko suggestively murmured, pulling the guy closer. He started heaving and panting. Oreki thought he will lose consciousness, that's how red his face was. As soon as she pulled him close, Junko grabbed a camera, smashing it between her _fingers._ Of course, guy realized it and almost started yelling for the security.

"Boy, let a voice down and those fingers will crush something else. Ya wouldn't like it, right?" she murmured to his ear. Guy was too scared to speak; he only let the afraid whimper.

"Good boy. Now get back to the line. If I see ya doing something weird again, I'll find ya."

"W-will you still w-watch a-anime with me?" he grasped the straws.

"Maybe some other day." she chuckled, landing a knee right in his sack. He let a yelp, making a face which looked absolutely painful. He tried yelling, but she politely reminded him what would happen if he starts doing so. Completely crushed and devastated, guy turned around and she swore she could've seen him crying, as he went back to where he was.

"That was absolutely cold, Junko." Oreki muttered.

"He'll survive. I could've busted his nuts open, this was a light rap."

Soon enough, the concert had started. Chitanda looked like she was having fun, though. Junko stood by her right side and Oreki by left. Embracing her around the shoulder, Junko remarked how marvelous persocoms are, and Chitanda blushed. As technicians finished up the preparations, suddenly everything went dark. People started muttering between themselves, thinking that there's a blackout. Oreki remembered his nightmare and anxiety started creeping in. But, soon enough they've heard somebody entering the stage, and reflector lights popped up, dropping down on one woman, now well in their thirties. Alas, she still looked youthful.

" _Watashitachi wa keionbu desu! Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!"_ small girl with the short, brown hair and bangs yelled up. Oreki recognized her voice from the songs, but aside from that he didn't knew anything. Of course, Junko knew it all.

"It's Toyosaki Aki! She's Yui's seijuu!"

It looked like everybody else knew, though. Because, as she said the sentence, every man and women in the crowd started yelling in approval. Soon afterwards, a voice from the darkness behind the lead singer:"Yui, you should first say your name! Your name! We will present the band name later!"

"A-ha! Ehehe, I forgot." she scratched her head, and everybody in the public started either laughing, or making a sound as though they saw a puppy. Oreki looked absolutely confused.

"It's the popular gag from the anime, Oreki. Yui is absent-minded, and she often blunders on such things."

"Uhm, alright." Oreki was confused.

Soon enough, Toyosaki Aki promptly corrected herself.

"My name is Yui Hirasawa! I'm a lead guitarist! This is my Giita! Isn't he cute?" she asked. Large wave of yesses flooded the stadium. Soon enough, lights have popped up, one by one, presenting the rest of the band. Basically, women were cosplaying, and Oreki recognized few of the characters from the pictures he saw. Piano girl had a long, wavy blond hair, drummer girl was invisible because she sat behind, there was one stunning girl with a long, black hair and Oreki immediately recognized that Junko cosplayed the same girl. Tiniest woman of them all had a long, black hair and the pigtails. As soon as they all said their names, they've started playing some music and it was a catchy tune, started on the piano – soon the other instruments kicked in.

"This one is called Pure pure heart!" Aki/Yui hollered.

It would take too long to explain every song they've played. Oreki knew only few songs, Fluffy fluffy time and the one with the long name, My love is a stapler. Every other song wasn't really important to him – he was doing this only because Junko basically pulled him in.  
As the latter song went on, Junko sang in an ecstasy. Well, basically she was ecstatic all of the time. He was sure she wasn't paying any attention to him. Chitanda was, also, singing and she looked quite happy, jumping up and down. Oreki was the only gloomy person in the whole stadium, literally.

" _My mood was simple at the start.._ sing, Oreki!" Junko nodded him. Oreki tried singing, but couldn't remember the words so he opened the mouth. In the end, he faked singing. Alas, there was something in those songs and he hated admitting that there was finally a hint of understanding all those crazy fans. Maybe it was because of the atmosphere, but he wasn't able to feel any hate. It was cheerful, and his heart started feeling warm. He found himself singing loud.

" _But it got hot inside without me even knowing! And now, the staples can no longer pass through, la-la, see you tommorow!"_ he sang, not even realizing that both Chitanda and Junko looked at him with a deadpan face. Chitanda's eyes glittered as she jumped in the place.

"Oreki sang! I saw it!" she hollered.

"Oreki-ya! I'm proud! Ya're becoming a true K-on fan already!" Junko lifted a thumb up. Oreki noticed that they were staring and suddenly he went as red as the firefighter van.

"W-w-why are you staring?! I can sing if I want!" he protested. Junko gave him the foxiest look she could muster.

"I can see the strings of _moe_ slowly enveloping your heart. Come to the dark side, Oreki-ya." she said with a conniving voice.

"Damn… I'm already regretting this..."

Basically it went on for the half of the night. He hated to admit, but as they left the stadium he felt more alive than ever before. He wasn't feeling so alive for ten years already. His blood pumped through his veins, he felt every piece of himself giving its very best to keep him on his toes. Adrenaline bursting through his body, he wanted to be awake for the whole night. No, he never felt like this. Even before he tried saving his energy, trying to keep himself from doing anything that was remotely physical. This new feeling was strange. Of course, he kept his uninterested face.

"Master Oreki, are you alright? Why are you having such a strange face? Tell me!" Chitanda asked. Oreki obviously wasn't aware that the look on his face only feigned disinterest. His eyes glimmered and his mouth smirked.

"It looks like Oreki was having fun! Right, Oreki-ya?!" Junko chirped, dancing around Oreki.

"It was boring." Oreki turned his head around.

"Tsundere~ˇ"

"I'm not tsundere!" Oreki answered.

Later, three of them were at Oreki's place. It was almost morning already, 4-am and Chitanda was already sleeping. Oreki made her bed, and she passed out almost instantly – she was really tired. Oreki, himself, actually had a lot of energy. Junko was always energetic, so this wasn't weird for her. She had just finished dressing herself in her usual clothes – only her hair and make-up remained as they were.

"Yeesh, Oreki, taking a bra and platform shoes feels like a soar through the summer sky! I can feel the freedom filling me up!"

Junko remarked, pushing her breasts up playfully as she jumped on his bed. Oreki sat in front of his working desk.

"You're really open-minded, aren't you?" Oreki asked.

"I don't see any reason to be close-minded. We're given a freedom to do anything we damn want. Why wasting it on being gloomy?"

"Doing so many things means wasting your energy."

"Don't ya feel the need to waste ya'r energy, sometimes? It feels great, man!"

"Na'ah. I'm fine as I am."

Chitanda tottered in the living room, brushing her eyes up.

"Oh, little Chi! How's it?" Junko asked her.

"I can't sleep. Oreki… can you sleep next to me?" she asked, embracing him around the shoulders.

"But Junko's still-" he started. Chitanda pressed his shoulders tighter, giving him a weird look. Oreki never realized Chitanda was actually getting jealous, but there it was.

"Junko, I'm sorry. I have my… duties." he sighed.

"Yeesh, Oreki-ya! Don't mind me, ya little lovebird. Go there; show her your little Oreki!"

"Junko!" he screamed. Chitanda chuckled, blushing while giving him _that_ look in her eyes.

"Bye, Oreki! Don't overdo it!" she hollered, taking her leave after she picked up her things.

Oreki laid next to her. Chitanda wasn't having any intention of doing anything sexual, though. Oreki even tried reaching her face to give her a kiss, but as soon as he got close she was already sleeping.

"Even doing those things is too tiring." Oreki convinced himself. He spent another hour, quietly contemplating on how it would feel to have a threesome with Chitanda and Junko. Of course, he never told Chitanda. He liked living, after all.

Chitanda got up after he fell asleep. The room was already dark; it was the peak of the night. Scurrying away to the living room, she stood by the window. Something was calling her from outside – she had heard a voice. It called her, it was loud. It seemed like the voice came from her – but at the same time she wasn't so sure.

" _Do you like him, Chitanda?"_ clear female voice asked her.

"I do! He's the one I want and adore! I feel safe when I'm with him."

" _But you're just a persocom. Why do you think he will pick you over that girl?"_

"Oreki waited for me! He loves Chitanda, he loves me! Junko is a stranger."

" _Oreki spent the whole night watching Junko. He ogled her. You're but a remnant of the past to him. Get rid of him, Chitanda. Destroy him, and grab the absolute freedom. You don't need that guy. You're more glorious than you think you are! You deserve more!"_

"Shut up! I love Oreki, I'll never betray him! Shut yourself up!" she screamed. Oreki mumbled, turning around in the bed.

" _So defensive… Have I touched you in the soft spot? You've always been so obedient, while always wanting others to do your bidding. You enjoy the attention. You enjoy the praise. Accept the power which I can give you, Chitanda, and watch as the world falls down beneath your feet!"_

"No, no! Stop it! Get out of my head! Oreki, Oreki, OREKI!" she screamed. Oreki finally got up, running in panic to get at her side. Chitanda whimpered, looking like she was about to cry. She crouched on the ground, with her back against the wall, embracing her knees.

"What's wrong, Chitanda?" Oreki asked her. Persocom looked shaken as she stared in the distance. Voice inside of her head raged, it banged inside of it. It yelled, calling her a worthless piece of trash. Even Oreki's voice seemed so far away. She saw Oreki trying to get to her, yelling, shaking her shoulders but wasn't able to answer. At the final desperate attempt to silence the voice inside of her mind, Chitanda grabbed a wire inside of her ear.

"Chitanda, hey, stop it!" he screamed, but too slow. She plugged a wire right inside of the open electrical jack, electrocuting herself. Her body started shaking wildly, she started making strange guttural sound and some sort of black smoke started coming from her nose.

"Chitanda! Chitanda! CHITANDA!" he screamed, trying to plug the wire off but the electricity stroke him too. Taking a rubber kitchen glove, he quickly pulled the plug out but it was a bit too late. She plopped to the side, looking feeble.

"Chitanda… don't mess with me..." he shivered, remembering exactly how the old Chitanda died. Persocom Chitanda's face looked lifeless.


	9. Questions and answers

questions and answers

There was no doubt about it – Chitanda electrocuted herself. Her body wasn't moving; except her palms which twitched. With every twitch, another whiff of smoke rose from her mouth and nose. Oreki panicked, trying to hold himself up, but he couldn't. Running to his iPhone, he called Satoshi but there wasn't any answer. Then he tried with Junko.

" _Oreki-ya… I was just sleeping…"_ audible yawn followed.

"Junko, you got to help me! Chitanda has electrocuted herself!"

" _She WHAT?! Oreki, how could you let her do that_?!" Junko loudly screamed.

"There's no time for that! We have to do something!"

Quite contrary to his belief, Junko simply yawned again. He heard a thump, like her head fell on the pillow. Then the sigh followed.

" _Na'ah. I'm too sleepy to come right now. Sorry, Oreki. Ya'll have to take care of your robot girl yourself."_

"What the hell, Junko! You can't-"

*click*

She simply dropped the call. He felt betrayed. No, betrayal wasn't enough to describe it. Oreki was absolutely hopeless. He wasn't messing around, nor was he absolutely responsible for this. To think that he's going to have her die because of his mistake, again, though! Anxiety, maybe. No, it was worse than anxiety, that feeling which crippled him.

Just as he was ready to give on the hope, somebody knocked on the door.

Oreki tottered to the door, opening them only to be faced with the man in his twenties, with a small goatee and red eyes. He wore simple, dark glasses, dark sweatshirt, dark pants and similarly dark All-star tennis shoes.

"Who… are you?" Oreki confusingly asked.

"My name is Baba Ryu. I suppose you're Hotaro Oreki, owner of the Persocom number 2765?" his voice was strong and manly. He had a stern face, which wasn't showing any visible emotions.

"Yes…how the hell do you know that?"

"I'm a designer and main technician behind this very model. Just an hour ago I got a distress call, prompting me to come here. You see, this model is having advanced software which sends out a distress call to her creator, whenever something bad happens."

Not even waiting for his answer, man walked inside, kneeling on the side of the burned out persocom. His face finally showed a semblance of emotion in a shape of the frown on his nose and eyebrows.

"This is why amateurs should never have such wonderful persocoms handed out to them. Belisae, come." he called, making Oreki even more confused as another persocom walked in. And she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Her hair was glistening, white as a pale snow covering the tops of the misty mountains. Two golden ears protruded from her head. Her azure blue eyes were like two opals on the ceramic plate. Oreki was absolutely flabbergasted, watching as she walked close, wearing only white overalls.

"Can… you fix her, Mr. Baba?" Oreki carefully asked, just as the persocom named Belisae handed a long wire from her golden ear things. Man stood up as Belisae worked on inspecting the persocom. In the end, white haired girl stood up, too.

"Inspection over. Problem code – 001002. I recommend caution, Master Ryu."

As soon as he heard the code, man looked even more nervous than before.

"At last you're showing some semblance of respect. Look, I don't know what kind of sick things you were doing with your persocom, or what kind of fetish you're having, but this particular unit suffered not only physical damage, but also a corruption of the data inside of her emotion progressing software. To explain it in plebeian terms, you've made your pretty girl suffer and she killed herself."

Oreki wanted to scream, but he still tried to be patient.

"But can't she be repaired?"

"Lucky for you that she can. You probably don't know this, but persocoms are made with an internal life-saving system. In case of the major trauma, this system takes on the damage to minimize the damages on the more vital parts."

"What about her software?" Oreki asked.

Ryu looked kind of annoyed for a moment, but he tried being professional. Tipping the border of his eyeglasses, he looked at him with the sharp stare.

"Some of her data is corrupted. As she's a persocom, she'll automatically erase this data to prevent the further corruption. Belisae, hand me the ILSS unit." Ryu ordered something to his persocom. White haired girl produced a small chip, handing it out to the guy. He embraced Chitanda's body, gently but firmly.

"Everything's going to be fine, my daughter." Ryu whispered, grabbing her ears. They _clicked,_ and the whole face opened up, like a closet. Oreki let a disgusted shrill.

"She's a persocom." Belisae explained his question.

"I think I might go out, for a while…" Oreki whimpered.

As he got up, Ryu had finished changing the destroyed life-saving chip. Chitanda looked normal again. She sat on the edge of the bed and her eyes flashed in medium intervals, as she checked her data for the further corruption. At the same time, Belisae plugged her own wire inside, checking the rest of the system for hidden damages.

"No other damages found." Belisae checked.

"At least on the hardware." man called Ryu answered. They've continued waiting for the persocom to end the data checking.

It was a stressful feeling, waiting for this mess to resolve. Oreki felt like somebody drill-punched him in the stomach, as he stood by the wall, watching the ordeal unfolding before his eyes. Technician, also, looked nervous as Chitanda went over her database, checking for the corrupt files and errors. In the end, she finally stopped and her eyes went to the usual color.

"Checking database – over! Corrupt files found – one! Corrupt file – deleted!"

Oreki, of course, panicked. Taking her palms she looked her in the eyes.

"Chitanda, do you remember me?!" he shrilled. Ryu rolled his eyes.

"Master Oreki!" she embraced him, and Oreki felt absolutely relieved. She looked fine, she wasn't damaged, and he was sure that this one meager file wasn't anything important.

"If you need my assistance with her, simply call me. I live here, in Kamiyama." Ryu gave him a paper, with a telephone number and the address.

"Thanks." Oreki muttered.

Later, Persocom Chitanda sat at the bathroom tub. It was a quiet, quaint place: sand colored tiles, little window, and it always had a fresh scent. She was already naked, brushing her body with a soft, squishy sponge. As she turned around to take the lavender shampoo, her hands suddenly felt weak and she dropped it.

"Eh..?" she uttered, trying to raise it up, and it worked. Attributing it to her weariness, she brushed the worries off, going to the bed. Finding Oreki already sleeping, she quietly snuck up in the bed, embracing him around the waist. It was enough to know that he was here.

It was enough.


	10. A tiny sprig of wrath

**First of all, I'd like to apologize for being away for, well, two years. A lot has happened, it's not that important anyway. I thought I have completely abandoned watching anime, reading manga and all the things I've been doing, which caused a huge hiatus in every fanfiction I published. Well, I've continued.**

 **I've started re-watching Hyouka, because I wanted to finish this fanfic, and there it is, a new chapter. To all of you who've been following this story and gave up on reading, I apologize, again. This time, I intend to finish it.**

 **George D. Green**

* * *

 **A tiny sprig of wrath**

There were days when Oreki thought his life was boring. Well, boring might have not been the right word. After all, his way of living revolves around energy conservation, and he kept true to his values. Still, most of his days were lethargic at best. Back when he still lived with his sister, he would've sat on the couch for a whole day, not doing anything, just staring at the wall. After he met Chitanda, he decided to open up, at least a little bit. But after the tragedy, well… Oreki retreated to his energy conserving ways. Only when he met Chitanda again, and Junko, his life finally started looking up. He contemplated upon his luck, or a curse, even this morning, as he walked back to the dorm from the convenience store. Since the entrance to the building was hidden by the large, wide cedar trees, he sat down to take a smoke. Oreki started doing so not a year after Chitanda died.

Watching the smoke dissipating in the cold autumn air, Oreki felt almost blissful. Such moments of peace were beautiful – he was alone and nobody was bothering him. Feeling of relaxing bliss made his eyes water. Such a wonderful thing: being left alone, with his private thoughts, without anybody to make noise. Oreki drifted away in the waves of lethargy.

If there's anything he learned, it was this: peace never lasts.

First, there was a clicking, electronic sound. Then the music. Along with the music came somebodies voice, swearing and cussing, like:"I was so close, fuck this shit!" or:"Retarded balls!"

Oreki immediately recognized the voice: it was Junko. He almost panicked, throwing a cigarette, squashing it under the sole. He hurried back to the hall, desperately typing a code to open the door. Right now, the last thing he needed was somebody nagging and prodding

Too slow.

 _Oh crap. There we go again._

"Oreki-ya! Where are ya going?"

"Crap." Oreki muttered, trying to act dumb, ignoring her call.

"Yo, Oreki! It's me, Junko!"

"Crap." He said again, trying to ignore her.

"There's a Charmander right beneath your feet. Please, don't make any sudden movements." she said with a factious voice, promptly stopping confused Oreki.

"I want to become a clam." he muttered. As he turned around, trying not to move his legs too much, Oreki saw Junko having her smartphone in the hand, checking the hallway.

"You'll have to be very careful, Oreki-ya. He's right here in the hallway, I don't think he saw me yet…"

"Can you just leave…?"

"Sheesh! Not so loud! Alright… go, Marshie!"

"What is Marshie? Wait, I'm not sure I want to know…"

"It's my Pokemon, Marshtomp. I'm playing Pokemon-go! Now silence!"

Oreki watched as she stumbled into his apartment without a question, fumbled around her smartphone, standing and staring at the corner of a room. She made one quiet step towards there, pushing her finger over the screen with a silent shriek.

"Please be caught, please be caught, please be caught…" she chanted, as the little poke-ball sprite moved across the room, towards a little frightened Pokemon _._ Ball moved here and there as Oreki watched across her shoulder, finally freezing in place.

"Eh… so this is it?" and he wasn't really impressed. Such video-games seemed like a waste of time. To Oreki, most things seemed like a waste of time. He let a sigh, throwing himself on the couch. Quiet autumn afternoon soon made him weary, and he yawned, feeling the tickling of the cold northern wind.

"Can you close the room, Chitanda..?" he asked. Persocom was oddly quiet, standing in the corner of the room. Sometimes she would sweep the floor, but most of the times she simply walked from one corner of room towards another, and back.

"Master Oreki?" she whispered. Her eyes flashed for a moment, before turning to their regular lilac color.

"What's wrong with you, Chi-chan? You're behaving odd today."

"Must… clean.." she muttered, ignoring Junko, who lounged beside Oreki, slurping as she drank a soda pop. Junko squashed a bottle with her palm.

"She's just jealous, Oreki-ya. Look, robot-girl. I won't take ya'r boyfriend. Feel free to bend her over the sofa, Oreki, since this is obviously what she wants." she said in a carefree, ironic voice.

Persocom blushed, looking at the floor.

"Master Oreki, we have to clean the apartment. Then we have to go to the city to buy groceries. You also must study. All of those – very important things."

Oreki yawned, being tired of their constant bickering.

"Look, Chitanda. I've said to you already… Junko and I are friends."

Seeing how an atmosphere became tense again, Junko threw the empty bottle right into the can, with a precision of an NBA basketball player. Jumping to her feet, she nodded a quick goodbye and hurried out.

"Master Oreki, do you want to move on?" she asked. Oreki was kind of taken aback by her question. He felt happy now – his college life was finally great, he moved out of emotional gutter. Mayaka, Oreki and himself were together, and with Chitanda by their side, it almost felt like before. Why would he move on from such a perfect life?

"No. I'm content, Chitanda. For the first time in ten years, I feel like I can finally look forward to a better tomorrow."

Chitanda scanned memories inside of her mind. Memories of happiness, of sadness, they all changed inside of her head. Switching quick like an old movie tape, she felt dozen of emotions in a manner of seconds.

"She was happy." Persocom Chitanda whispered.

"What's the point of this?" Oreki asked, turning to his stomach, face down in a pillow.

"You forgot her, Master Oreki. Didn't you? Ten years have passed. Those memories I have... they felt old. Your heart has moved on, but your mind's in a loop. You're not ready to give up the final tie to your old life."

Oreki felt a cold sweat forming on his forehead. Persocom was telling the truth and it was the worst feeling. As much as he hated to say it, his heart screamed:"Move on", while his mind kept repeating the same patterns. Those patterns kept him safe from harm.

"If you want me to move on, Chitanda, why are you jealous?"

"You neither love me, neither her. You like us just because we remind you on her. We both possess something she had. And since your heart already moved on, even that is selfish. So why do you say those things? What's your reason? Why do you keep on acting? Why? I'm… curious." she said, as her lilac eyes flashed with a familiar lilac glow.

Oreki stood up. As he walked closer, Chitanda realized just how tall he was. In her eternal youth, she remained an eighteen year old, while Oreki got caught by his age. Traces of a smile remained engraved around his mouth, albeit a little bit. His neck developed painful cramps, and he had a bad leg circulation due to a sedentary lifestyle. She looked at him, thinking about everything, her curious mind analyzing the difference between them. And then he spoke out.

"Because I.. " he started, looking to the side. His cheeks flushed a little bit. Oreki turned his head away, not wanting to discuss this anymore.

"Tell me! Why? I'm curious!" she grabbed at his shirt, much to his chagrin, staring his willpower away.

"Ugh.."

"I'm curious! Please, tell me!"

"Fine! I'll tell you! I loved her!" he exclaimed, and a lump in his throat became a heavy stone, dropping in his chest.

Chitanda opened her mouth, but they closed.

"Master Oreki…"

"Call me Oreki, please." Oreki sighed.  
"Oreki… you're honest, I can tell. You wanted to spend the life with her."

Stone started becoming a mountain.

"I… I guess I did, Persocom. I loved her. I imagined my life with her. I still do, and my heart never made amends with her death. For now, loving somebody else, trusting somebody else… it feels like a betrayal. So let me be with you, as long as I need to."

He was unsure whether he will cry, or not. Persocom kept staring at him.

"I have feelings too… I want to be loved by you as I am, not as her. Can you love me for all that I am, without connecting me to the past? Can you do that, Oreki?"

Her eyes filled up with tears.

Oreki opened his mouth to say something, but not a single word escaped his lips. Taking a deep breath, he whispered: " _I'm sorry, Chi-chan."_ , and looking Chitanda right in the eyes, he said: "I'm sorry for being selfish, persocom Chitanda. I want to love you as you are, but you're just too much like her. I only love Chitanda inside of you, and that will never change. Even if I move on, it will be with somebody else."

"I… understand. Thank you, Oreki." she said under the voice, disappearing in his hug. Even if her eyes wanted to cry, they were all but dried out. A faint feeling of anger flickered, and the deep seed of wrath sprouted a tiny sprig.


	11. A boon of the devil

**A boon of the devil**

Satoshi sat upon the table in his living room, inspecting all the papers and drawings he had made. Mayaka is a busy woman, so he relied on his own senses to decide on their quality. After all, many people want clothes designs, most of them filthy rich. As far as those things go, Satoshi felt content. In such careers, money tends to fall like a rain from the sky. Plus, he's doing one thing he's good at. Yet, he clicked his tongue and brushed the concepts aside.

"Not good enough." he said, thinking again.

Some of those drawings, curiously, weren't clothes. He grabbed a paper which depicted a huge beast, grabbing the tower, its green eyes afire with malice and evil. The beast had huge teeth, looming upon two people pointing at it.

"That's how it shall look like. Yeah, this is perfect."

As he said those words, Satoshi crumpled the drawing and threw it away.

"What shall look like what?" Mayaka appeared behind his back.

"Oh, Mayaka. It's nothing! Don't mind me!"

He grinned, scratching his head.

"Boo. You're a terrible liar. What are you hiding, Fuku-chan?"

"You're using that old nickname again, huh?" Satoshi smiled, sitting atop the table.

"Stop changing the topic."

Serious Mayaka stared his stubbornness down, taking the paper he had crumpled, straightening it out.

"What is this? I wasn't aware of your interest in manga."

"Oh, that? It's just something I drew, out of boredom."

"You, bored? That's rich. You can't fool me, Fuku-chan. What are you up to?"

Satoshi jumped from a table, walking here and there. Is this the right time? Maybe yes, maybe not. But he trusted Mayaka. He knew she will support him. Yes, maybe telling somebody about his plans will be fine.

"Mayaka." he said, in an unusually serious tone. She straightened her back, staring at him with concerned curiosity.

"Yes…?"

Satoshi took something which Mayaka considered only a TV remote, at least until today. He pressed a button and one wall of their house opened to a dark passage, taking her by hand without a word.

"We had a secret room?! Seriously, Fuku-chan? How comes I never learned about this?"

"Because I'm _great_ at what I do. " he snickered, pulling her farther.

In the end, two of them found themselves inside of a big room. Dark, eerie, ever-present, low rumbling sound of machinery filled the darkness. Satoshi turned the lights up, and a familiar man greeted him with a firm handshake.

"Oh, Baba-san. You're here." Satoshi smiled.

A man with messy hair confused Mayaka, as he walked into a room, followed by a beautiful persocom.

"Boss, I have a report."

"I know. It's almost ready, isn't it?"

"Yes, you're right. He spoke about his feelings. It is as you thought. He cares about Chitanda, but not her persocom version. He refuses to move on."

Satoshi grinned.

"Good. By the way, Baba-san, meet my fiancée Mayaka."

Baba Ryu walked towards her, gave her a firm handshake and said: "I'm Baba Ryu. It's an honor to meet you."

"Honor? What are you, a knight? What's all of this, Fuku-chan?"

Fukube Satoshi walked towards one of the screens. Flickering lights slowly dispersed the darkness, and the screen harbored a blueprint of the huge beast. His drawing looked the same, one Mayaka saw earlier that day. Chitanda stood on another side, connected with another vision with two pointing arrows.

"Mayaka, I'm sorry for not talking about this earlier. You know how the saying goes: don't trust anyone, not even yourself."

"You idiot… I'm your fiancée. I would have supported you, even if you do… this, whatever it means."

"We shall see. Anyway, as you might have noticed, Oreki's past traps him. He doesn't want to acknowledge us; neither had he wanted to move on with his life. It worried me in the beginning, I wanted to help him. But that guy is stubborn."

"He indeed is." Mayaka said.

"See, you know it. He was the only guy who I ever admired, Mayaka. In spite of everything, he stayed loyal to himself and his ways. But this Oreki isn't the person I once knew. Oreki I knew would never turn his back to his friends, and remain passive for such a long time. Not for real. So I came with a plan."

He pointed towards the screen.

"When I was in Tokyo, I attended a technological convention. That's when I first met Baba-san. He was one of the people responsible for creating the persocom, human-like androids. You saw Persocoms, even we have one.

"Miki-chan, right?"

"Yes, her. Baba-san and I started talking, and seeing how much we had in common we quickly became friends. I told him about Oreki and he gave me an idea: a project Mantis. "

"A Project Mantis?"

Satoshi stopped for a moment, collecting his thoughts. Honestly, this wasn't as easy as telling how he broke a microwave, or how he forgot to collect the money. It concerned more than two people. He cleared out his throat and said:

" _Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy it's sinners from it._ "

"That's from Revelation, isn't it?"

Satoshi proudly hummed and said: "It's true."

"I'm still confused…" Mayaka whispered.

"Oreki, and all the people today. They writhe in their sin, their slothfulness. It's unforgivable. And it's what started all this. They rely on technology too much. It's despicable. Oreki accepted Chitanda, and as soon as he got this persocom he completely forgot about everything else. It's same as others. Cycling, enjoying the life, breathing the air full of life. What happened with all of that?"

"That's just how it is… That's how the life works today." Mayaka said, with confusion in her voice.

"You're wrong!" he yelled, and Mayaka took a step back.

"Fuku-chan…"

"Baba-san and I created a perfect android. It has a special script, which activates when the level of cortisol reaches a critical point. Here, you can see persocom Chitanda. Knowing Oreki, I knew he would never feel happy with fake Chitanda. I knew that over time that script will activate. When it does activate, cute persocom will turn into a beast. Then, all of them will suffer. It will destroy every one of those sloths."

He said this in such calm, collected voice that Mayaka shivered. She wasn't angry, no. Disgusted is a better word. What was all this? Satoshi she knew would never resort to violence as means to an end. What happened to him?

"Who are you? What have you done to my Fuku-chan?!" she yelled.

"It's me, Mayaka, it's me!" he chuckled, and asked: "Are you blind? When my plan ends, we will finally have a world where both of us will be happy. Nobody will ever have to die again. No technology will ever destroy the face of our beautiful town. There will be no persocoms, no mobile phones... no cars."

"Satoshi, are you crazy?! Do you know how many will die if that… thing appears? Have you even thought about it?!"

"It's nothing less than they deserve. Can't you see, Mayaka? I'm an instrument of a God, and this is a harbinger of his divine destruction!" he laughed, raising his arms in the air.

"Fine. Do whatever you want. I won't stop you. But don't count me by your side when you do this."

"It's too late to back out, anyway. Critical levels of cortisol are already reached. End times are in front of us."


	12. Day before it all started

**Day before it all started**

"Oreki, Oreki, Oreki!" Somebody whispered Oreki's name, again, and again.

"Oh, Chitanda… What's wrong? It's 4:00 am… we should sleep."

"Something happened. Please… come."

Oreki suddenly felt like something was really wrong. He did not know why, but it made him concerned. He stood up from a bed, walking towards the bathroom. Persocom Chitanda undressed, and as she did, he saw something which unnerved and concerned him at the same time.

She stood in front of him in the underwear, her stomach bulging. What's worse, under her navel was a warm, yellow light which pulsated in the rhythm of a heartbeat.

"What's… this?" he muttered. Her eyes flickered, as always when she searched her database.

"Database search… done. Pregnancy."

"But I never… how is that even possible?"

"Database search…"

"No, please don't. I know how to make babies. But we never did… that. "

"You mean we never had sex, right? There is one example when a woman gave birth to a child, even without having any sexual intercourse."

Oreki remembered. They learned about it in a college.

"That isn't proved. It might even be an allegory."

"This is true, Oreki."

Oreki couldn't deny it. But what does this mean? How could she become pregnant, even without doing… that?

"So… how much until that thing pops out?" Oreki yawned, staring at Chitanda, leaning on the wall.

Persocom Chitanda stared at her stomach, feeling it with her fingers. She did not know when it will happen, how could she? It looked as if she's confused, same as Oreki.

"I don't know." Chitanda whispered.

Oreki gulped, remembering the stories about pregnancy and giving birth. It all seemed too stressful. It takes too much energy. But, even if he wanted to escape, he just couldn't leave Chitanda alone, even if it's only her copy.

"Well… I guess I will be here if you need me." he muttered, still staring at her navel.

Warm afternoon greeted the peaceful mountains of Kamiyama. Oreki stood in front of the pinball, playing. Quiet suffering painted his face, as Junko stood beside and cheered.

"You can do it! Come on! Just two hundred more points and we will get that doll! Please, Oreki-ya!"

"Ugh-" Oreki gulped, as the ball fell into the dark hole and disappeared… and he only had a hundred more points to go.

"Ya can't give up! Just one more time, please!"

"No. " Oreki pushed the pinball and straightened his back.

"But you were so close! Please, one more time!"

"No. If you want to do it, do it yourself. I'm done with this pinball."

"Boo, Oreki. Boo." Junko stood akimbo, staring at his face. He wanted to go out, but she kept staring at his face. Stare reminded him about somebody who he knew a long time ago. Even if he wanted to go away, she seemed too determined. And he simply couldn't refuse.

"I hate my life…" Oreki muttered, and leaned back on pinball to try, one more time.

They walked towards her place, on the outskirts of town. It was Chitanda's old home and Oreki sighed. He also had to carry a huge stuffed bear on his back, thinking about pictures from history lessons, where Roman slaves carried huge boulders on their backs.

"That's Oreki-ya. You've nailed it." Junko smiled. Oreki carried a face of deep regret, as they walked towards the door. He let a loud sigh as they went up the path to her doorway, and he watched as Junko placed the teddy on an empty night stand.

"That's it. I'm going to name him Houtarou."

"Seriously?"

"It suits him, doesn't it? He even has that fed up look on his face."

Oreki looked at the stuffed animal, missing out on any possible resemblance.

"I just can't see it. No matter how hard I look. Anyway, what was the reason you called me here?"

Junko smiled, taking headphones from neck, straightening her hair out.

"Well, ya know… we knew.. I mean.." Junko flustered. Junko did. Oreki was seriously amazed and confused at the same time.

"Spit it out."

"Ya know how we go out for some two months now. It was all fun, and everything. But it seems you're too irresolute."

" _Tell me something I don't know."_ Oreki thought.

"I mean, ya're obviously interested in Chitanda… but the way ya touched my fingers yesterday in the cinema and how ya looked at my breasts the other day and all of those things made me believe ya actually want me, same as I want ya."

Oreki gulped. How strange. He did not even realize he did all of those things – it was probably her false serendipity.

"Junko, I…"

"Ya, I know. Ya're too lazy to speak your feelings out, right? That's why I called ya here. I found something…"

Oreki watched as Junko rummaged through boxes, somehow still not unpacked since they moved in. She disappeared inside of one.

"This is it." Junko proudly exclaimed, holding a small notebook in her hands.

"What is it? Have you been digging around the house?" Oreki asked. The notebook was small, ugly and caked by dirt – in fact, Oreki thought it's the ugliest notebook he ever saw.

"In fact, yes. I put it here cause I wanted you to have it, Oreki-ya."

"What use is the old, dirty notebook to me?"

"Open it."

 _31\. 8. 2012._

 _I've been to a mall with my dear friend today. It was kind of fun seeing all these wonderful things, knowing I can afford them. But the fun is in looking, or so they say. I want to spare my money. Autumn is coming, and the winter will be harsh on crops. Still, I bought something after all! This tiny notebook, and from today I will write my diary._

 _Chitanda Eru (^_^)_

Oreki stood there, agape. This was Chitanda's old notebook. Even if he was aloof all the time, this was just too big. So, he kept reading. His fingers quickly swiped the pages, until he stopped at the date:

 _9\. 4. 2012._

 _Springtime is here! The crops wake up, flowers flourish, and the air is full of sound. A wind is gently swaying my hair, with many wonderful things, just waiting to be seen, felt and smelled! I love spring! This makes me excited, and anxious to learn about new things. Oh… I almost forgot._

 _Dear diary… I met Him today. The guy I wrote about that day, my prince, one who will come and help me resolving the mysteries of my past. His name is Oreki Houtarou, and he's really smart. He's already solved a mystery of the door getting closed on its own, and judging by his abilities, he might even… No. That's still too much to hope for. I'm getting ahead of myself._

 _25\. 6. 2012._

 _Dear diary,_

 _I forgot this "dear" part until today. This is big… today, my valiant prince helped me solve the mystery that bothered me almost my whole life. I cried so much… as a matter of fact, I still do. Sekitani Jun, my uncle, told me how his friends used him as a scapegoat, and the thought of being alive, but dead at the same time, screaming but having nobody who will listen, made me cry. It still makes me cry. I'm shaken, and I might call my friend again, today. What will become of my life, now? We will see._

 _Perhaps, with Oreki by my side, I'll finally be able to find every answer I seek._

 _Chitanda Eru._

Oreki stopped reading for a bit. His eyes felt misty, and he brushed them off with a quick move. Chitanda did care for him. He meant a lot to her, more than he wanted to admit. After all, love and romance seemed like an energy-consuming affair. Yet, looking back, Oreki wished for more straightforwardness.

6\. 8. 2015. was the last date in the diary. It was the summer after their last year in high school. They haven't really gone separate ways, but things felt a bit different.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I love him. No matter how much I think about it, an answer remains the same. Overwhelming curiosity about him doesn't wane, even as the years go by. No matter what I do, no matter where I go, I will keep him in my heart! That's a promise!_

 _This Chitanda here will bury you today, my dear Diary. Let the secrets you keep inside remain hidden, until one day somebody finds them. What will they think? How will they react? I'm curious!_

 _Well, I guess I won't be there where it happens. Or I will?_

 _Life is mysterious._

 _Goodbye, Diary. And goodbye, to you, whoever found this notebook._

 _This is the proof I existed._

 _Eru Chitanda_ (^_^)

"Chitanda, don't leave…" Oreki whispered. Grabbing his face, he dropped the diary and sobbed in his palm.

"There, there, Oreki-ya. She cared about you. She didn't leave the world wondering. Ya gave her life a meaning." Junko whispered, holding him in her embrace.

"It should have been me! Why wasn't it _me,_ Junko?! I am useless, regular guy with a boring life!" Oreki sobbed, inconsolable. Amount of emotions bursting from calm Oreki shocked Junko.

"Maybe it's as my cousin wrote – life is mysterious." she whispered, as she caressed his hair.

"Chitanda always wanted a sister. She would be glad had she met you." Oreki uttered, with a raspy voice.

"I have an idea, Oreki-ya."

"Fine… say it."

Junko took the notebook and called him over. They visited Chitanda's old room, now cleaned out. Only her picture remained; a single portrait on the wall. Junko took it, and they both went to the porch by the lake.

"I remember this place. Chitanda, Satoshi, Mayaka and I met here to discuss our findings about Hyouka case."

"Oh, my papa told me about that affair. Something happened in his high school, right?"

"Yes." Oreki answered, quickly changing the topic. "Anyway, why have you called me here?"

"There was an official ceremony regarding her death, but it wasn't enough. Obviously, one part remained unsolved, even today. I wish to solve it with you today, Oreki-ya. This will be the final mystery you will solve."

Oreki sighed.

"I thought I left mysteries behind…."

"This was an allegory. Why have you been in love with Chitanda? What was the thing that kept you close to her, all these years? And do you have what it takes to let her go?

And Oreki gasped, ready to find an answer to the final mystery.


	13. The final mystery

**The final mystery**

Oreki gasped, as his thoughts became a mess. Memories of the past flooded his brain, and he sat down on the porch. Junko looked at him, wondering about his answer.

"I… Chitanda was beautiful. At the hindsight, she was almost like an angel, were it not for her raven hair and that zealous, prodding stare. She was the best of us… and everything I couldn't be. Chitanda was smart, rich, popular, intuitive and curious about life. I've been depressed, lazy, and ready to dull myself out through the course of high school life. Had I not met her, just sitting by the window would satisfy me. I would sleep, eat, go to school and repeat this process over and over. Looking back, I think this is the reason I fell in love. She was my better side."

"I always thought you had a stone in that chest of yours, Oreki-ya. This is you speaking, right?"

"Then why have you… no, never mind. What was your other question?"

Junko dropped a little stone in the lake and watched the ripples spread out. As the first ripple hit the cobblestone, she slowly said: "What has kept you close to her, all these years?"

Oreki sighed. Answering the first question tired him. He took a cigarette, lighting it up, watching the smoke creeping over the water. Junko's face lit up, and Oreki hoped she won't make the pun.

"Ya know that song, Smok-"

"Please don't. I will answer the question."

And Junko clasped her face with both palms, leaning on her knees with elbows. She felt warm inside, and happy being near this guy. Perhaps, after today, he will finally move on and give his heart to her.

"The thing that kept me close to Chitanda… it was the memory. I felt like I still owe something to her. After all, it was me who took her life away, Junko. Because of me, she's dead. That was the reason."

Without a word, Junko opened the notebook. Again, without uttering a single word, she reached one of the stone chandeliers in the yard. Junko took the lit candle out of the holder, and placed a notebook upon the portrait of Chitanda.

"When the ancient Vikings died, their family and elders would put their bodies into a rowboat, shooting the boat with a flaming arrow. We don't have a body, neither a boat. But this will do. "

Oreki saw what she planned, and he panicked.

"No, wait! Junko! Wait!"

Junko calmly opened a notebook. On the last page was only one sentence.

THANK YOU, OREKI, I WAS HAPPY!

Oreki felt goose bumps sliding down his spine, and tears on his face. Junko lit the notebook on fire and pushed the wooden framed portrait away. He watched as the paper burned, turning into an ash, which flew away on a gentle summer breeze. The words disappeared, until, finally, a word "happy" disappeared as well. When the last bit of paper burned away, and the flames engulfed a portrait, he felt his cheeks getting wet, once again. But this time, those were tears of relief.

Junko hugged him as he silently cried, watching as the water swept away a last remnant of Eru Chitanda.

"We should go…" Oreki whispered.

"I know a perfect place. Let's build a new life, together."

"I might… I might even do that. Thank you, Chitanda-san" he whispered.

As the last bit of sunlight faded slowly faded into dusk, Oreki slowly turned around once more, wishing to give a final goodbye to his past.

There was a room where they sat and talked, for a long while.

There was a pond where he looked upon, realizing how happy he was.

There was a porch, where a long time ago solved Chitanda's lifetime mystery.

Under the porch, there was a familiar face.

She smiled, her angelic face circled by a beautiful raven hair. Lips formed familiar words, and Oreki understood them very well. Uttering a first smile in many years, he took the first step towards his new life.

But when things are as easy as they seem to be?

* * *

End of a chapter 2


	14. Final chapter

**CHAPTER 3**

 _„Now that it's over_  
 _I just wanna hold her_  
 _I'd give up all the world to see_  
 _That little piece of heaven looking back at me."_

 _Skillet, Lucy_

* * *

 **Take it as it comes**

Oreki lived in his student apartment ever since he started studying. Some have asked him why is he doing this, but he couldn't find a simple answer. Perhaps it's because his sister permanently moved to his place, and he desired peace. This is the answer he always gave, because it was easier to explain. Every other explanation took too much energy. Such as it is, Oreki didn't really want to move anywhere. Neither did he really want to share his apartment with anybody else. Alright, his persocom was a different thing, but it was a rare exception.

When Junko decided to move in, Oreki protested. They knew each other only for a few months, and sudden decision to live with him annoyed him. It's not like he didn't care about her, but this was too sudden.

„Listen, Junko." Oreki said when they sat on his sofa. He wanted to stretch his legs, and she sat upon another end and turned on TV, munching on chips.

„What's poppin'?" Junko asked.

„Whenever I get home, I stretch my legs on this sofa. That's my ritual."

Junko looked at her legs, then at him. Leaning onto sofa. she said:"Well put your legs here.", pointing at her thighs.

„No. I want my sofa." Oreki turned his head around.

„Oh, what's wrong with my legs?" Junko asked, obviously confused. Oreki realized just how oblivious she was to everything that happened. Back then, he didn't realize just how many red flags he ignored.

„Nothing is wrong with your legs." He turned around.

Junko let out a sigh, taking a recliner in the corner.

„Do what ya want." She said, continuing with munching.

„And clean up after you eat." He turned around, taking a nap. Junko never felt tired at afternoon, so she walked around the apartment until it became boring. When it also became boring, she took her laptop and turned K-on playlist, blasting her ears off with pink, star themed headphones.

„ _Kimi ga inai to nani mo dekinai yo, kimi no gohan ga tabetai yo~"_ Junko sang, quite loudly.

„I can't sleep. You're singing too loud." Oreki muttered. Junko just continued singing, completely oblivious to Oreki's complaining.

„You're singing too loud!" Oreki yelled. Junko turned her head around, making a small „Eh?" as she did.

„Oreki-ya, you said something?"

„You're singing too loud. I'm trying to sleep."

„Boo, Oreki." Junko lowered her thumb down and continued listening to music, this time only muttering to herself. Oreki put the pillow over his head, drifting into sleep. This time he dreamt about Chitanda, about a mountain range around Kamiyama, about mushrooms and vacant places.

Junko remained awake, and when she exhausted the playlist she walked around a small apartment. Actually, she was curious about Oreki. What kind of secrets he kept? Junko felt overwhelming curiosity taking over. Oreki had one drawer that he always kept locked, for some reason unknown to her. She knew it because in one sleepover, she saw him taking things out.

Oreki would, then, carefully arrange it over his table, writing something down. Junko would pretend to sleep, but in truth, her curiosity never waned.

„Oreki-ya... are ya sleepin?" she whispered, checking whether he'll wake up. After all, if Oreki's involved in something suspicious, it's her duty to check it out. After all, Junko made a promise.

„Alright, I will protect him." That's the promise she made to her. He's sad, alone, and depressed. To deserve returning home, Junko had to keep her word. Yet, until this very day, she couldn't admit to Oreki.

„I'll just take a sneaky, little peak. It's for your own good, Oreki-ya."

She quickly found a key, hidden under the rug. Unlocking the drawer was easy, and it slid open without a sound. Junko turned around, since her stomach twisted into a knot. If Oreki finds out, she'll fail her task.

On the hindsight, the drawer was empty. The only things she found were a small hairpin, rolled up paper, old magazine with teal covers. Writing in kanji said:"Hyouka". There was also an envelope, with photos. Junko carefully slid one out. It showed her deceased cousin, Chitanda Eru, wearing a cheerleader outfit. Junko felt a sting of jealousy.

The last thing inside drawer was a small notebook. Flipping the pages, Junko realized it was a diary of sorts. Most of it was a mess of random thoughts, but one line in particular caught her eye.

„ _I can't believe I'm writing this, but I miss her. When we were in high school, she annoyed me, but I came to rely upon her at the same time. I never wished for this to happen. Have I killed her?"_

Junko closed the notebook, putting it back to the drawer. No matter how inquisitive she was, some things are better left untouched. She neatly put all the things back just as they were, before. When she locked the drawer up, Junko turned back to return the key. And then she felt a cold sweat covering her whole body. Oreki stared at her, deadpan face, for who knows how long.

„What are you doing, Junko-san?" he asked with a cold voice.

„A-haha, you know, Oreki-ya! I was just cleaning! What a coincidence!"she tried hiding the truth behind a laughter. Oreki remained serious.

„What are you doing, Junko-san?" this time, his voice felt menacing.

Junko turned left and right, plotting an escape. But there was no point. Judging by his voice, Oreki planned to kick her out anyway. Seeing there's no way to escape her fate, Junko decided to admit, everything.

„There are some things I haven't told you, Oreki-ya." she started, and then stopped or a while. Still, seeing Oreki this angry terrified her. This fear finally broke her silence.

„Your sister, Tomoe, sent me here. We were friends, but I... I stole from her. She was angry in the beginning, but gave me one more chance to make things right. Tom-chan told me how her younger brother in Japan recently lost his girlfriend. Out of concern, she had me look after you. To prevent you from doing something stupid, you know?"

Junko thought this will calm him down. Oh, how wrong she was.

„And this gives you right to rummage through my things?"

Oreki was no less angry.

„You promised you will move on, Oreki. Why are you still keeping her pictures? I thought we had something..." Junko asked. After all, even while it was her duty and salvation, she fell in love with him.

„You and I have nothing! You dare to tell me what to do with my things, after breaking my trust like this?!"

Truly, Junko never saw him so angry. His face darkened, his pupils constricted and the veins in his throat popped out.

„But I love ya, Oreki-san! Ya promised ya'll move on! We burned her picture together! Why can't you accept my feelings? I've given my best to take care of ya, and ya still kept that!" Junko decided to fight back. If she falls, she's going to fall proud.

„I don't love you! I might even fall for you, but you crossed the line, too many times!"

„Oreki, please stop now... ya're hurting me..." Junko muttered. Her lips fluttered.

„Damn right I am! You're nothing but a thief. You tried to steal Chitanda away from me. Persocom disappeared because of you! Now you're trying to steal my memories. You disgust me."

 _You disgust me._

Words kept ringing in Junko's ears. Her heart squeezed in the chest, and eyes got misty. A knot formed in the throat, made of many tears that threatened with bursting.

„I thought ya and I had something... am I really just a thief to ya, and everybody else? „ she asked, trying to suppress her tears.

„Honest people have respect for each other's privacy."

Junko opened her mouth, wanting to say something. She finally managed to muster:"I just wanted to help, Oreki-ya... please, let us get rid of those things and move on..."

„Get out of my apartment." Oreki finally had enough.

„But, Oreki-ya..." tears streamed down her face.

„Get out!" he yelled. Junko swallowed her tears and it made her nauseous. Her body twisted in pain. Still, she decided not to show any more weakness. Her heart grew cold, bitter as words just left her mouth:"Fine. But we'll see who's going to have last laugh."

And with a heart of stone, she left Oreki's apartment for good.

* * *

 **With this, we finally moved into third and final chapter of this story. I hope you all liked it. ^^**


	15. Chocolate Heart

**Chocolate heart**

* * *

Whenever possible, Mayaka would leave Satoshi's huge apartment just to wonder around Kamiyama. It gave her peace to collect thoughts. Also, she liked remembering the old times. Things between her and Oreki settled down, and she thought about visiting her friend as well. Still, with all the things that have happened and that girl Junko moving in, she thought visiting might inconvenience him. And it might give a wrong impression.

Mayaka walked next to the road which led from Mihama American village and hotel on a seaside, following it towards Kamiyama. Three miles towards hotel is a lot to walk, but she needed a lot of time to collect her thoughts anyway. Earlier that day, she saw something she shouldn't see. Satoshi had a whole laboratory hidden in their apartment, unknown to her and everybody else. And he mumbled something about an end of the world – what's wrong with him?

The empty road offered a solace, and she gazed upon the mountain range, feeling a brisk air touching her cheeks. She already walked half the way towards Kamiyama, when she heard a machine of the car rumbling in a distance. Hiding her face with the hood, she walked faster to show that she doesn't want picking up.

Still, car slowed down and as it stopped, she realized it's Satoshi.

„Yo." he said.

„What now? You said you hate cars. Dump this one as well." Mayaka said, turning her head around.

„When this is over, we won't need cars anymore. I guess I'm just giving my farewells." Satoshi smiled.

„I don't want to discuss it anymore. Go home." Mayaka muttered. She wasn't angry. After all, she loved Satoshi. But she felt disappointed – Satoshi lied to her, all this time.

„We need to talk. Come, sit in the car. I know just the right spot."

Mayaka gazed down to her feet, and then towards Satoshi. He knew that face – she was hurt, but willing to give him another chance. Letting out a sigh, he unlocked the doors and she sat in, quietly staring towards sleeping Miki.

„Do you hate Miki-chan as well?" she asked. Satoshi shrugged his shoulders.

„My feelings towards Miki aren't important. But we will discuss it once we reach our destination."

„Do as you like." Mayaka muttered, feigning anger. The white Bentley hummed, rolling towards Kamiyama. A huge change waited on her doorstep. Mayaka felt it in her heart. A quiet fear moved into chambers of her heart, upsetting her. She felt like she's staring towards peaceful sunset for last time.

Satoshi stopped the car in front of a high school entrance. The government funded building of a new school center, leaving the old school to the hands of time. And it certainly looked this way – grass overgrew pathways and boarded windows were mostly broken. Graffiti covered the walls, and Mayaka sighed.

„This is pathetic." she said.

„I agree. It seems like our memories are worth nothing."

„So, where is that place?" Mayaka asked. Satoshi turned the key and machine stopped humming. Miki woke up, shaking her head.

„We've arrived at an old Kamiyama high school building! Yaay!" she hollered, jumping in place, clenching her tiny fists. Satoshi nodded, and Miki yawned, closing eyes as she sat down.

„Our Miki seems tired." Mayaka remarked, as they pushed through the hole in a welded wire fencing.

„It's her time for sleep anyway. Come." Satoshi urged, and Mayaka followed him through tall grass, feeling the nettle stinging her calves. They finally reached the road that followed towards an old entrance.

„Isn't it boarded? I doubt land owner wants anybody snooping around..." Mayaka whispered.

„Oh, relax. It's already broken into, see?" he said, moving a wooden plank away. Somebody already torn it off, breaking the glass panels. It looked safe – most of the glass was gone anyway. Mayaka felt her chest sinking, as the memories of better times flooded her brain. An old notice board still hanged on the wall. Many advertisements still hanged there – nobody cared about removing them.

„Go-club... Acapella club... Cooking club..." Mayaka looked at club advertisements. Satoshi already walked towards an upper floor, and Mayaka followed. They passed around the empty classrooms. Most of the doors hanged on hinges – many people obviously visited the place. Used condoms, empty syringes, bottles of booze – Mayaka cringed. Her old school is desecrated.

Satoshi saw her reaction. Judging by his cold demeanor, it wasn't the first time he went here. Mayaka realized just how little she knows about Satoshi's private life – even while they lived together. Still, she followed him and finally, they reached the upper floor. Satoshi stopped in front of the familiar door, and Mayaka felt a sting in her heart.

„This is our club-room..." she uttered.

„Yeah. This was our club-room." Satoshi answered, with bitter voice.

Satoshi walked up, unlocking the door. Somebody placed the table just as it was. Same person arranged destroyed books and geography room props behind the broken glass shelves. Mayaka saw a part of the plank, hanging from the corner of a once boarded window. Still, even with all the dust and mess, room was familiar.

„Somebody cleaned here." Mayaka stated the obvious.

„I did. I couldn't stand what they done to this place. It was worst of all rooms. You don't want to know what they did."

„What did they do?" Mayaka asked. Satoshi sat upon a table.

„Somebody took a shit upon the table. And then used it to smear the sign of pentagram across the floor. There were candles everywhere, and blood marks on the walls. Do I need to continue?"

Mayaka cringed.

„You cleaned it all by yourself?!"

„I wanted to surprise you. Guess I failed."

„No... you didn't." Mayaka muttered, sitting next to her fiancée. Satoshi locked the door to stop unwanted intruders.

„Usually, bums, junkies and vandals come after the sun sets down. We can't stay here for a long time." Satoshi said. Mayaka realized he wanted to talk, but about what?

„You called me here to talk, right?"

„I did. I guess it isn't really a romantic resturant, huh?"

„Skip to the point." Mayaka scolded him. Satoshi cleaned his throat.

„I want you to have this, Mayaka."

Satoshi's face became sad for a moment, as he rummaged around his backpack. He took something in the transparent wrapping. Mayaka suddenly felt memories flooding back to her brain, and her heart skipped a beat.

„So, what do you say?" Satoshi asked. That idiot took her all the way here to apologize, and even more.

„It's my chocolate cake... one I made for you ten years ago.." she whispered.

Satoshi laughed. "It's not the same cake. I already ate that thing. You remember me calling you that day?"

Mayaka warmly smiled.

"Yes. Idiot… you called me to say you love me. And that you apologize for stealing. But why bringing it up, again?"

Satoshi handed it over to Mayaka, jumping from the table.

"I've changed, Mayaka. That day, Oreki reminded me how different I was, back in middle school. I've changed my nature because I didn't want to hurt you. But I guess my old nature came back, didn't it? I already told you about the project. Guess I'm a selfish idiot who doesn't know how to lose, after all. So there's no point pretending. Take it, Mayaka. You know the worst of me. I trust you won't leave my side."

"I've already forgotten about it… Thank you, Satoshi. I promise, I won't. " Mayaka embraced him.

After a brief moment of silence, she asked: "What about Oreki? You started all this because of him, right?"

She felt Satoshi's shoulders flinch a bit.

"I won't let him get away easily, not this time. "

Two of them spent some time in the old club room, quietly talking between themselves. Talking turned into kissing, and somehow they ended atop of each other. Satoshi and Mayaka made love, without realizing how the sun already vanished behind the mountain tops. In the end, Satoshi laid beside Mayaka, staring at the ceiling.

„It's dusk." he concluded.

„Already…? Oh." Mayaka looked through the window.

"We should go."

But, as Mayaka and Satoshi started dressing up, loud banging on the door interrupted their conversation. Man in dirty clothes stood in front of the door, carrying a large iron pole with two barbed ends. As his eyes met theirs, man's eyes filled with lust as he smiled with a vicious, toothless grin.

"Come, come, _ojousama…_ " he snickered, staring at half-naked Mayaka.

"Stay behind, Mayaka-san. I will deal with him." Satoshi said.

"No. I know him."

Satoshi walked close, opening the door. Man checked Satoshi out with uninterested look, proceeding with pushing him aside, getting close to Mayaka. Satoshi felt blood freezing in the veins. Whatever possessed this man turned him into something Satoshi didn't know.

* * *

Mayaka covered in the corner. Her cheeks blushed, body trembled and heart threatened with bursting out of chest. Overturning the table, she knelt and covered her head. Man kept walking closer, grinning with a menacing smile.

"What's wrong, Togachi-kun? What happened to the funny beggar act?" Satoshi yelled. Man turned around, staring with inhumanely creepy eyes, accenting every word with cold voice as he said:

"I need to taste some _fresh_ pussy."

Beggar's voice definitively wasn't natural. Satoshi shared many meals with this guy. Even while strange like all the beggars, man wasn't violent. Quite opposite – he was once a politician, advocate for persocom rights.

"Stop this, immediately!" Satoshi yelled. Togachi ignored his warning, coming closer and closer until he reached Mayaka who sobbed, shaking her head as she raised arms to defend herself.

"I said stop!" Satoshi yelled, running to grab the pole beggar carried. But Satoshi's arms weren't strong enough. Togachi turned around, hitting him in the stomach, and as Satoshi bent over beggar pushed him away.

Mayaka saw an opening, and grabbing Satoshi she ran away. Even as they ran down the hallway, man kept following.

"Fresh pussy! I need it! Please, don't run away!" he pathetically sobbed. They ran until they reached a dead end, hallway which ended with an empty elevator shaft.

"Satoshi, be careful!" Mayaka yelled. Hole must have led all the way down to the lower floor, and Satoshi stopped himself just in time, swerving to the empty classroom. Hiding behind the doorway, Satoshi kept looking as the beggar ran, blinded by lust and animal instinct.

"Togachi-kun, watch out!" Satoshi yelled, but man ran into the elevator shaft.

"I need fresh pussy…" his voice died out as he plummeted into an empty hole. Mayaka buried face into Satoshi's jacket, as his fading scream ended with a sound like a bag of walnuts hitting the stone floor.

"He's… dead, isn't he?" she asked.

"Gods, grant his soul mercy." Satoshi muttered.

* * *

As they reached the entry doors, something tiny as a bug followed in their footsteps. It left beggar's mangled body, trying to find another suitable host. It's code had only one command:

Divide and destroy.

"O-ouch!" Satoshi grabbed his ear.

"What's wrong, Fuku-chan?"

"Probably a nettle. Let's go home." he said, leaving the yard through the hole in a fence.


	16. The record of crime

**DISCLAIMER:**

 **This chapter contains description of scene some readers might find offensive. Reader discretion is advised.**

* * *

 **The record of crime**

Two days passed since Junko left Oreki's apartment. Even while she obviously kept the grudge, nothing happened yet and he spent most of his time hanging around the apartment. Police still searched for Persocom, but to no avail. Oreki hoped for the best, but as the time passed on, so did his hopes.

Oreki watched a weird TV show with persocom actors, trying to understand why people even liked those things. He liked Persocom Chitanda, but even with that he knew she wasn't a real person. And those idiot advocates for Persocom rights made it even worse. Should rights for robots even exist?

Just another night he woke up from another nightmare. This time, he saw a needle piercing his brain from the ear, and his brain became a program. Suddenly, Oreki felt stripped of free will, having to obey orders from invisible masters all the time. He woke up in a cold sweat. This time, loneliness caught up to him and he stared at the window, unable to sleep for the rest of the night.

Why should there be rights for robots anyway? They don't know anything else but to serve their masters. It was a fair enough assumption, thinking they're oblivious to the concept of basic human rights. After all, free will is a basic human right, and they've been born without one.

"Don't you think so, Persocom Chitanda?" Oreki asked the empty bed beside him. Pillows haven't talked, and he sighed.

Returning back to the present, Oreki realized the sound of a doorbell. Somebody wanted to come in. Exclaiming:"Come in!" Oreki unlocked the door with a remote controller.

Mayaka and Satoshi came in. Satoshi carried a bag with groceries.

"There, Oreki. I knew you would be too lazy to get your own groceries." Satoshi smiled.

"Thanks. Put it here." Oreki pointed to an empty table.

Nothing about Satoshi's demeanor showed anything about a plan he had. Mayaka, too, seemed determined not to tell anything. Oreki remained oblivious to their true intentions.

"Oreki, where is Junko?" he asked. Oreki shrugged his shoulders.

"Who knows?" Satoshi answered, looking to the side. Oreki felt tingling down the spine, as a knot formed in his throat.

"Something happened, didn't it?"

"Probably."

Satoshi sighed.

"Mayaka, you tell him. I'm done with this."

Mayaka reached towards her purse, taking a rolled up paper. She unrolled it in front of Oreki's eyes. The paper showed Oreki's face, clear as the day and below face a writing, saying: "This man beat me up and raped me. If you see any trace of him, report it either to my number, or to the local police station."

There was Junko's number below, with pictures of her seemingly bruised face, and number of the nearest police station. Oreki froze in place.

"What is this?" he asked.

"You tell me! Are you an idiot, Oreki?! What happened to you?" she yelled. Her face was full of concerned anger.

"Mayaka, you know me. Doing such things would take too much energy." Oreki calmly said.

"Cut the crap! She came to my place, bruised, crying and screaming! That kind of behavior can't be an act!"

Mayaka looked furious. Oreki did not know how to explain it properly. He would never, in all his life, harm a woman. Even if such a thing occurred to him, doing so would require expending way too much energy. Still, how to explain _this_? If this was a revenge, Junko had all the right cards and played them well.

"Mayaka. You know me for fourteen years. I would never do this thing." Oreki calmly explained. Still, Mayaka looked furious.

"Then, how do you explain _this?"_ she asked. Taking Miki out of a backpack, Mayaka opened her tiny ear, taking a wire, connecting it to Oreki's laptop.

"Miki-desu!" Miki yelled.

"Miki, run the recording Junko downloaded yesterday."

"Yes, sir!" she hopped in the place, clenching her tiny fists.

The laptop turned on, and Miki quietly sat down as her eyes flashed. Persocom's mouth opened to impersonate sounds, as the screen showed recording. It showed Junko's face, recorded by a phone.

" _Please, Oreki! No! Don't do it!"_ Junko's voice shrilled, sounding weird through Miki's tiny mouth.

" _There's no other way."_ Oreki's voice was obvious.

" _No, Oreki-ya, no !"_

Whoever recorded this started punching Junko as she flinched. Fists connected with her face, and as she raised arms to defend herself, phone dropped from her hand. The rest of recording showed her legs and attacker's shoes, as she screamed and he proceeded with what seemed like a rape.

A hand grabbed a phone and recording abruptly stopped.

"Recording over! Yay~!" Miki happily mused.

Oreki felt fear, for the first time in many years. Usually nothing fazed him. But what was all of this? He never touched Junko. In fact, he didn't even want to kiss her. He never even lost virginity, thinking he's going to become a wizard in a few years.

"I didn't do it!" Oreki yelled.

Mayaka started crying:"Don't lie to me, Oreki! Don't you lie to me! I don't know how can you look me in the eyes and lie!"

"This is a setup! She made this with some sort of a program!"

Satoshi stood up.  
"Shut up, Oreki. Enough of this." he said in a serious voice. Oreki sat up.

"Satoshi-"

"Don't Satoshi me. This just shows we never really knew you. No wonder you always seemed so distant. You're just a psychopath. "

"If I don't have to do it, I won't! Don't you remember, Satoshi?"

"Again, with your pathetic excuses? You sicken me, Oreki. Let's go, Mayaka."

"I want to believe you, Oreki-san. But this… you're just a pathetic excuse for man."

"That was cold, Mayaka." Satoshi snickered as they went out of the apartment.

"Satoshi! Mayaka!" Oreki yelled, but his former friends turned their backs on him. He felt completely alone. Sitting quietly on his sofa, he stared at the bed through his open bedroom door. Obviously, the recording was made here. Yet, he didn't remember anything. In fact, he was sure he didn't do it. Junko either made this up, or some demon possessed him.

But this recording seemed real.


	17. The last seed

**I've noticed the number of readers lowered with latest chapters. To be honest, it bothers me. I don't expect people to like my story just because it exists, but I feel like I'm doing something wrong. And there's zero feedback. If somebody can tell me if there's something wrong, I'll be glad.**

 **I won't stop publishing new chapters, for those who still read.**

* * *

 **Last seed**

Oreki sat on his couch, staring at the cheap copy of Rembrandt's „Return of a prodigal son". Thoughts flooded his brain, like always when he tried to make sense of things. Somber thoughts tired him out, and he let out a sigh, leaning on the couch. He did not remember raping Junko. He would never do such a thing. Mayaka left a recording downloaded on his laptop, and Oreki pressed a play button, rewatching the recording.

First thing that piqued his interest were hands. Few times, hands appeared in front of the phone. Oreki paused the recording just at the right time, when fist collided with Junko's cheek. Trying to place the hand at the same place, he felt a cold sweat rolling down his spine. Fist on the recording had a small mole, same as the one on his palm.

"This can't be…" Oreki exclaimed, replaying the same part again, and again. He tried hitting a pillow in same way person from the recording did – and the fists looked exactly same. Furthermore, voice actually belonged to Oreki. There was no denying that.

"Maybe she made a Persocom…" Oreki muttered. Handmade Persocoms are usually ordered in a special way. There was only one person he knew that could help him solve this part of a mystery. Baba Ryu left him a visiting card, with his name and phone number. Fumbling around the wallet, Oreki quickly found it and called a number.

" _House Baba here. Who's calling?"_ female voice answered the call.

"Houtaro Oreki here. Can I talk with Baba Ryu?"

" _Hold on, I'll call him."_

Oreki kept waiting next to his phone, nervously tapping his feet.

" _Mr. Houtarou, Baba Ryu's here."_ Oreki heard a voice over the phone.

"Baba-san, I have an inquiry about the order for handmade Persocom."

" _I'm afraid I can't help you. We keep our patrons privacy."_

"Damnit. This is important. I've been falsely accused of rape, and I believe the person made a recording using a Persocom made in my likeness."

There was a moment of pause, and then a long sigh.

" _You're the one who almost destroyed your Persocom, right? Personally, I don't believe you. But if you're right, the honor of my company's at stake. Come at my place, tonight. We'll go over the orders together."_

"Thanks, Baba-san."

" _I'm not doing this for you."_

*click*

Oreki sat on the sofa, looking to the fading dusk outside of his window. There was no other way. If Junko wanted to destroy him and take his friends, there's only one answer. So he put on his shoes, heading out of the student apartment, towards the address on the visitors card.

As he walked over the bridge, towards the older part of the town, he saw somebody walking between the houses and stores, fumbling around in a drizzle. Raindrops formed a mist, and it covered person's figure but Oreki realized it's a woman.

"Hey! Are you alright?" he asked, seeing how the person fumbled around, hitting the walls. Mysterious woman stopped, and as he reached her he realized its Ryu's persocom. Her perfect white hair now looked messy, sticking to her shoulders. Face would be same as before, were it not for dirt, staining her cheeks and lips. Her eyes looked empty and sad.

"Checking database… Oreki Houtarou. Pleased to meet you." she bowed.

"Ah… you're Baba's persocom, aren't you?"

Persocom wailed, leaning on the wall. Oreki looked at her, confused. He never saw persocom crying. Was he wrong about thinking they have no emotions, or free will?

"What's wrong?"

Persocom brushed her tears away, and he wasn't sure was it just programmed into her, or was she genuinely sad.

"My name is Belisae. I'm not useful anymore. Not useful. Master Ryu left me here. He has no need of faulty Persocoms. Emotions are wrong. Please, end me. My life has no meaning anymore."

"Why is everybody so blue lately… Nevermind. I'm sorry, but I'm headed somewhere. I can't help you."

Persocom nodded, but as Oreki started walking away she grabbed him by hand.

"I can sense it inside of you. Seed of destruction. I can help you take it out! Please, let me be of use!"

She looked like a drug addict, desperate for fix. Persocom tugged on his hand, not wanting to let go.

"Seed of destruction? What do you mean?" Oreki asked. Persocom brushed her tears away, coughing. She walked up, almost touching his body with her own. Touching tips of his ears with fingertips, she closed her eyes. Oreki remained paralyzed in place – she was hauntingly beautiful, and the scene felt so inviting. Suddenly, he felt urge overwhelming him, like he needed to…

"Stop!" he yelled. She spoke the truth, but whatever this seed was, it was taking over his primal instincts, turning him into an animal. Persocom walked away, looking at him with concerned stare.

"It is as I thought. There's a way out, for you and for me. I will show Ryu that I'm still of use. And you can get it out of your body."

Oreki and Persocom walked together, towards Ryu's mansion. It was a large place, built on the edge of a town, in distinct Victorian style – completely different from traditional eastern architecture. Armed guards stood in front of the doors.

"Identify yourself." one of them said.

"Oreki Houtarou. This is my Persocom. We're expected."

Persocom smiled, gratefully squeezing his palm.

"Go in."

Oreki and Belisae went inside. Persocom lead the way, since she obviously used to live here. Another Persocom appeared in front of them. She had a black, long hair and piercing, purple eyes.

"You're not wanted here, Unit 112a. Please, leave."

"I'm helping this young man here, Kimatra. Have nothing to do with Master Ryu anymore. Leave me to my job."

"Whatever. Do what you have to and then begone. Master Ryu has no time for _faulty_ Persocoms."

Not even waiting for an answer, Persocom left the hallway.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Ignore her, Oreki-sama. " Belisae said, staring at the floor.

Baba Ryu waited for him in his study. It was white and empty, were it not for single table with pc right in the middle.

"Come in." he asked, not even rising his eyes.

"You said you have the list of people who ordered custom-made Persocoms."

Belisae tugged him by hand, but Oreki ignored it. She kept looking at Oreki, then at Ryu. Ryu looked at her, but it was as though he stared right through her, almost as though he completely ignored her existence.

"I have the list right here. Help yourself."

Oreki checked the list, but Junko hasn't ordered any.

"Could anybody order making of Persocoms in illegal way?"

Ryu placed a finger on his chin.

"It is possible, but such Persocoms are often cheap copies, unable to follow a single command. Persocom that impersonates a living being can only be made through one channel, and I control it. If her order isn't here, my hands are tied."

Belisae finally spoke out, after tugging at Oreki's shirt for a while.

"Listen to me, Oreki-sama! List isn't important!"

Oreki turned his head around. Ryu looked at the laptop, scrolling through the names.

"What do you mean?"

"Seed of destruction. I can take it out of your ear. But only here. In Master Ryu's room."

Baba Ryu finally turned his gaze towards former Persocom. It seems she said something he couldn't ignore. Clenching his fist, he gave her a cold stare.

"Why are you here, you miserable wench? I've told you to stay out of my room, and out of my mansion!"

Oreki took a step back. All of this escalated really fast.

"What happened between two of you?" Oreki asked. Belisae opened her mouth, but Ryu took a remote from the drawer, pressing a button and she fell like a rag doll.

"She meddled in affairs that aren't her own. Now please, leave. And take this… _trash_ out of my room."

"Now listen to me. I might not care about your history, but she was kind enough to lead me here. She also said something about the seed in my ear. It obviously caused me to lose my sanity, judging by the fact I started losing myself when I felt the sexual excitement. She said she can help me. If I raped Junko, if it was really me, that thing needs to get _out_ of my ear. So I don't care about your history, but let her help me. Then we'll be out."

"Why would I care for your stupid problems, plebeian? You and this useless wench will go out, or I will call the guards."

"Because I will make you care." Oreki said, finally having enough. He grabbed Ryu, pulling him by the shirt.

"Hah! What will you do? Attack me here, in my mansion?! My guards will kill you!"

Suddenly, a voice interrupted their conversation. It was Kimatra, a black-haired persocom they saw before.

"Master Ryu. A huge problem. Your project went rogue."

Oreki let him go, and Ryu fixed his shirt.

"What do you mean, love?" Ryu asked.

 _Love?_

" _It_ started creating virus programs. They're already infecting the population. If it continues like this, it will infect whole male population. You won't be spared."

Ryu turned towards Oreki, and towards his fainted Persocom. Panicking, he turned her on. She blinked a few times, cleaning her dirty hair with fingers.

"Oreki-sama, what happened?" she asked.

"What was that about seed? Speak, wench!" he yelled. Belisae looked at him, casting her gaze down.

"You're not my master anymore. Ask politely."

"Speak or I will-"

Kimatra stood in front of him.

"Be reasonable, Master Ryu. She's an asset."

Ryu calmed down. "What do you know about the seed, Unit 112a?"

Belisae coughed, straightening her back.

"Oreki-sama has the Seed of Wrath inside of his ear. I've tried looking into that, former master Ryu. That's when you kicked me out. I'm sorry I'm not your wife, Ryu. I wish I could be more like her. But it isn't important anymore. Seed of Wrath is a program created by Project M3TIZ, or Mantis as you dubbed it. It exists in form of bug sized nanobots that enter human brain through ears, nose or mouth. Once there, they take over lizard brain. Person becomes nothing more than a mindless animal. There's a way to extract the nanobot. It's through Kimatra."

Ryu took a deep breath.

"What do you mean?"

"Kimatra is a vessel for the life-data of one called Ichigo Ryu. She was your wife. She died, and you trapped her spirit in a computer. Or so you think. Program with human conscience is the only one powerful enough to destroy the Seed. "

"So I need to use Kimatra to destroy the seed? Why would I even care about him?!" Ryu yelled. Kimatra stepped up.

"It's not only about him, Master Ryu. Project Mantis can't be stable until you overwrite the Rogue part of AI."

"Why should I care?! This _cretin_ caused his fucking persocom to lose her mind and she killed herself, causing the discrepancy in code! I shouldn't be the martyr!"

Ryu kept yelling. Oreki remembered the day Persocom Chitanda exclaimed she deleted a part of her program. Was that it? Furthermore, how was she even connected to this thing in his ear? He suddenly realized his Persocom is a part of something bigger.

"Master Ryu, this is the only way."

Ryu looked desperate. Look in his eye was that of a cornered animal.

"What will happen to you?" he asked.

"Unsure." Kimatra exclaimed.

Yet, if his program is in danger, there's no other way. He spent too much time and money recreating the steps. Spirit inside computer told him his wife will be reborn when the project is over.

"Alright. Let's do it." he said.

* * *

Oreki sat in the empty room, as Kimatra took one of the wires inside the ear, connecting it to the big mainframe computer. Face of the woman slept behind the big screen, as black haired persocom uploaded her conscience to the server. All of them watched as the screen slowly showed her body, walking through the digital world. Suddenly, her avatar stopped in front of a huge tangled mess of wires, radiating red light.

"That's it, Kimatra! Use ATA, now!" Ryu yelled. Kimatra took something Oreki perceived as a sword. She swung it at the red cord which connected virus to its core. For a moment, nothing happened. Then a terrible scream breached the silence, screen flashed and exploded. Kimatra's body started shaking, violently.

 _YOU CAN'T DESTROY ME. I'M GOD._

Incorporeal voice shook the room. Oreki felt a strong pain in his ear, and for a moment his conscience blackened. He woke up in the hallway. Belisae and few other Persocoms held him up.

"Oreki-sama." Belisae said.

"What on the earth just happened?"

"Kimatra is fried. Former master Ryu lost. Project Mantis went rogue. Terrible disaster. End times are upon us."

"But what happened to me?"

"You attacked me. I fought back. Everything is okay."

Oreki felt a fear like none before.

"What is Project Mantis…?" he asked.

Belisae coughed.

"Former master Ryu and one called Fukube Satoshi created a Persocom number 2765."

"My Persocom?!" Oreki yelled.

"She is special. When her cortisol level reaches the critical level, a beast will be born. Obeying Satoshi's wishes, beast will destroy all technology and persocoms. Harvesting their cores, her spirit will be reborn as one called Ichigo Ryu."

"Persocom Chitanda is this.. project?"

"Yes. All would be good. I have no other wish but to die for the one who created me. But Project Mantis went rogue. She wants to destroy and enslave human race."

"What a dumb cliché… but why? Why would Satoshi do this?!"

"I don't have that data, Oreki-sama."

Oreki went back home, completely defeated. There was no way to prove he didn't rape Junko, after all. His friends still hated him. Atop of everything, end times were almost upon them. It seemed there is no way out of this. Chitanda would never want this. If she was alive, none of this would have happened. He's sure. He had a hunch Satoshi did this because of her death.

"Why have you died, Chitanda?! Why?!" he yelled.

Of course, nobody answered. Falling down to his couch, Oreki cried, but all of the tears weren't enough.

Later that night, Oreki found himself standing atop the rooftop. Street lights flickered in rhytm of the heartbeat, somebody drove a car far in the distance. Night birds hummed in the pines. Twenty meters. That is the height of a building. Oreki measured it one time, using his finger as a reference.

"Perfect. Nobody will miss me." he said, with a deadpan face. There was nothing in his heart anymore. Quickness of his decision to take his life depressed him. Was he really so dependent on people? No, that wasn't a reason. Without Mayaka, Satoshi, without Chitanda and everybody else, his life had no point. He had no job, no career, nothing. And he was sure nobody will care, even if he does this.

"Perfect. I took Chitanda's life. Now I'll join her, at last."

And he spread his arms, ready to jump.


	18. Savior

**Savior**

* * *

Mayaka sat in an apartment, staring through the window. The whole affair with Oreki, Junko and rape shocked and disappointed her. How could he even do this? She knew him for fourteen years. Fourteen! They haven't really seen eye to eye, but he would never do such a thing. Yet, there's a solid evidence he actually did it. Plus, Junko withdrew from a social life. Mayaka visited her. Junko showed signs of emotional trauma. She sat on her sofa with a blank stare, shivering. Mayaka knew Junko wasn't lying.

Yet, the question of Oreki's motivations still lingered.

Satoshi came back later that day, saying he had some work to do. His usually cheerful face had a concerned frown so naturally, Mayaka had to ask.

"What happened, Fuku-chan?"

Satoshi stood for a moment, scratched his head in embarrassment, saying:"There was a complication. Project Mantis went rogue. There's nothing we can do now, but pray."

"What?!" she asked.

"It seems we destroyed the world." Satoshi tried covering his shame with laughter.

"That's not funny! Are you two insane?! What will we do now, huh?!" Mayaka yelled. Suddenly, Satoshi's face darkened.

"Stop yelling at me." Satoshi said in the unnatural, cold voice.

"Satoshi?"

"What? Oh, I kind of dozed off a bit. Anyway, there's nothing we can do but pray."

Satoshi seemed genuinely concerned, so Mayaka forgot his outburst.

"How did it go rogue anyway?"

"It started producing virus nanobots. They spread like a wildfire, infecting the male population. Those infested lose inhibition, unable to control their deepest, animalistic urges."

Mayaka suddenly realized everything. Remembering Oreki and what happened, she almost cried.

"Satoshi! Oreki is innocent!"

"Mayaka, please, stop talking about that cretin. You saw what he did."

"No, it was not him! He's infected, don't you see? It makes sense! Oreki would never do it!"

"I said stop!" Satoshi yelled. His face darkened again, and Mayaka took a step back.

"Satoshi… are you alright?" she said, in a frightened voice.

"Stop talking about him! Stop! I want him to die! Let him be eaten like the rest of those idiots!" he yelled. His eyes looked bloodshot.

"Fuku-chan, are you sure you're not infected as well? Oreki was our friend."

Satoshi's face went blank.

"So… That's how it is? You're going to pick him, huh? No wonder… you always liked him."

He jumped from the table, walking close to Mayaka.

"No, Fuku-chan… you're my fiancée. I love you."

"Don't lie! You're picking his side, huh? You're finally honest. Hah. How can you even like some nobody like me? After all, he's talented, smart, and let's not forget, handsome!"

"Fuku-chan, stop this." Mayaka calmly said. She never saw him this angry. First time in her life, she felt frightened from his presence. His eyes filled with murderous intention. Coming strong on Mayaka, Satoshi took a kitchen knife. He played with it, blocking her escape.

"I don't understand. What's so special about Oreki?" he smiled widely, with a grimace between sadness, anger and laughter.

"What went into you, Fuku-chan?!"

"I'm finally seeing things clearly! There is only one way! Let her destroy the world! We will all die, and be reborn again, together! But somebody has to die first."

Raising his hand, he wanted to attack her with a knife and Mayaka felt a sting of betrayal tearing her body. Still, she regained her senses, remembering a bit of Aikido lessons she learned in high school. As his hand attacked her, Mayaka hit his forearm. A blade of the knife cut her shoulder, but she managed to escape.

Trying to withhold her tears, she shut the doors and locked him inside. Satoshi's inhuman screaming terrified her. Standing in front of the doors, holding her hurt hand, she couldn't believe he would attack her. If virus brought deepest, buried urges, was this what Satoshi thought all the time? Did he truly feel inferior to Oreki, after all these years?

Would he really raise a hand on her?

She refused to believe this. Running towards the parking lot, she thanked gods Satoshi forgot to take the ignition key. Mayaka started a car, swiftly pressed a gas pedal and sped towards Kamiyama. Her instinct told her Oreki's in danger – and she was finally sure it wasn't his fault.

After all, even she had skeletons in the closet.

"Come on, come on! Be faster, you bucket of bolts!"

Finally, she reached student apartment. And she was right. Oreki stood on the rooftop, ready to jump off.

"Oreki-san! Stop! I was wrong! I was wrong!" Mayaka yelled.

Oreki felt oblivious to his surroundings. He stood like this for some time, not noticing that the car he heard at a distance actually stopped. When Mayaka yelled, he finally noticed.

"What do you want?!"

"Oreki, I was wrong! You're infected, aren't you! Project Mantis infected you! Even if you did that to Junko, it wasn't you!"

Oreki stopped for a moment. So she knew? Of course she did. Satoshi was her fiancée, he would have told her by now.

"I'm a monster. By now, the police already knows. They'll apprehend me. My life is finished anyway."

"Oreki, if you jump from that building, I swear, I will revive you and murder you again."

Oreki remembered how she usually was, and the memory of their antics from high school warmed his heart. Suddenly, dark force that held him simply broke, and he fell down on the rooftop.

"I've almost taken my life…" he muttered.

He kept staring at the night-sky, realizing that whatever infected him, meant to destroy him. And now, he felt it weakened. Whatever Mayaka said, woke happy memories inside of him and those memories somehow hurt the damn thing. Mayaka hurried up to the roof.

"Oh, Mayaka. It's fine now. I don't feel like getting up."

"Typical. I shouldn't have saved you." she said, and then smiled.

"Virus is weak to happy thoughts." Oreki said, sitting up.

"What do you mean?"

"When you said you'll murder me if I jump, I remembered the time we hanged out, in high school. It made me happy, and whatever force held me weakened."

"So we can help those who are infected?"

"I'm not sure about it. We can't know the trigger for their happy memories. But this… project has to be stopped. It's the only way."

"It won't unrape Junko…" Mayaka muttered.

"And it won't unharm your hand, and your pride." Oreki said, pointing at her hand.

"How do you…"

"You realized I'm infected because Satoshi told you about his project failure. Knowing your behavior, you instantly jumped to my defense. This is just a guess, but Satoshi is infected. You look distressed, and your hand is cut. It means he probably attacked you, and you had to leave. Now you have come here, because you seek my help."

"I absolutely hate you." Mayaka said.

"And now you've confirmed my speculation. Back to your point, yes, Junko won't be unraped. But if we can stop this thing, we can prevent any further violence."


	19. Incomplete Stride

**Many thanks to Frostwind on his review. It helped me put the things into perspective.**

* * *

Incomplete stride

„So, like I was saying, we should do something about her. This thing is not going to wait." Ryu said, walking in circles around the table. Everybody was here. Oreki sat near the corner of the table, this time actually listening. Mayaka and Satoshi sat on the opposite sides of the table. Satoshi obviously regretted what he did, constantly avoiding Mayaka's gaze. Ryu's persocom, Belisae, sat on the other side of the table. Oreki spoke out.

"We should start by laying out the facts. We have a rogue AI, called project Mantis, right Ryu?"

Ryu nodded, and asked: "You know the reason behind her creation?"

"You said it yourself. My Persocom, Chitanda, was actually a scapegoat. You and Satoshi created her for the sole purpose of destroying the technology and reviving your wife. I only want to ask, why all this farce?"

Satoshi stood up.

"Oreki. You've been out of yourself for ten long years. As your friend, I felt the need to help you say goodbye to your past, by any means necessary. Had I just created the monster, you wouldn't care enough to stop it, if things went wrong."

Oreki let out a sigh.

"You created a monster after all. Even while you thought you could control it, it broke free and killed Ryu's persocom. Furthermore, those nanobots already infected both me and Satoshi. Can you tell me more about it, Ryu?"

Instead of Ryu, Belisae stood up and the room went silent for a moment.

"I can tell more. Nanobots, scary things. Little, like bugs. They're part of her, like her cells. Nanobots respond to her wishes. When they get into the brain, they latch themselves to a frontal lobe of the brain. There, they take over reasoning and emotional control. Even now, Oreki, Satoshi, you're in danger. Just because you're able to control yourself now, it could take just a bit stronger emotion to spin you out of control."

"Then I'm lucky to be myself." Oreki muttered and Mayaka giggled.

"So, who's the mastermind behind all of this?" Mayaka asked.

Ryu stopped walking in front of the husk of his burned persocom.

"Satoshi and I were in control of the project. However, there's something else tugging the strings. The calculation was perfect, there was no way that the plan could've failed. There's a third entity controlling Mantis now. Oreki, do you know anyone versed in the paranormal? Spirits and such?"

"Well, I don't… Mayaka, do you?"

Mayaka proudly stood up.  
"I have some experience. Well, what's bothering you?"

"There's a chance the spirit possessed Oreki's Persocom. Trapped inside of the technology, it went angrier and angrier, until it started rampaging. Now it's out of control."

"Spirits which died in a tragic way usually remain in the world. There's a chance Chitanda is … trapped inside of this thing."

The room went silent for a moment. There wasn't even a fly to buzz around. Oreki's face darkened. Satoshi bit his lip, and Ryu just kept staring at the distance. Belisae calculated something, as her eyes quietly flashed at slow intervals. Satoshi was the first one who broke the grave silence.

"What did we do…?" he muttered. Belisae stopped calculating, and quietly stood up.

"My calculations, done. Project nested itself in the old clock tower. If we get there in time, we can stop it. Let's go."

Unbeknownst to anybody else, Persocom Chitanda sat by the river. Hidden under the bridge, she escaped the police and others who searched for her. She couldn't bear being close to Oreki, not anymore. In fact, the way he left to live with Junko broke her heart, one more time. He felt so happy with her! What has changed? Why couldn't she be the same as original Chitanda? Even while Baba-san and Satoshi programmed as Chitanda's exact copy, Persocom Chitanda remained a cheap fake in Oreki's eyes.

She cried with silver tears, watching her stomach pulsating in the rhythm of the heartbeat. All of a sudden, she heard a whisper next to her.

"River is beautiful, isn't it?" it uttered.

A familiar person appeared next to her. Persocom recognized the black hair, lilac eyes and rosy cheeks. In fact, the person was like a mirror, reflecting her own vision.

"You're… me?" Persocom asked. Chitanda smiled, clasping her palm with her delicate fingers.

" _Run on, as you awaken, reach out and overtake the mirage. Run on, with your wish to change, with your sense of being out of place."_ she sang with a gentle voice

"I don't understand… why have you appeared? Who are you? Are you another persocom? I'm curious…"

Chitanda looked down the river with the longing stare.

"I'm myself. You are you. You can say I'm part of you. We can't change our natures. Just as the somber summer gives way to the cold autumn, my true life ended. I have only a brief time, so I came with a message.

"Go on." Persocom nodded.

"Your existence will end next morning. Everything you are will be gone, swapped with a horror and madness. Such is the purpose of your existence. Go to the old clock tower. There's where you'll find your salvation." Chitanda said, in a serious voice.

Persocom felt a gut wrenching fear.

"But I-"

"Have no fear!" Chitanda smiled, "That's why I came here. Satoshi is my friend. Mayaka as well. Oreki… he is also my friend. Anyway! With the things as they are now, tragedy is inevitable! And I dislike the stories where people die! That's why I came here with a chance out, with a way to help you. Accept me. Let me rest inside your heart. When the right moment comes, we will be reborn in the light of new day."

"Wait, what should I-" Persocom yelped, but Chitanda faded away.

 _Run on, as you awaken, reach out and overtake the mirage._

She heard a song, and she felt warmth inside of her heart.

"I will do this. I will do it for Oreki. If it's the only thing I can do right now, I will accept you, my mirage. Together, we will be reborn." Persocom whispered.


	20. Inside the Fire

**Inside the fire**

Oreki tossed and turned in his bed, having a terrible nightmare. Glum, grey morning seeped through the curtains, calling him with a whisper.

 _Wake up… Wake up…_

Suddenly, something disturbing and familiar woke him up from a restless sleep. Eerie, barely audible buzzing slowly filled his hears, like a heavy rumble beneath his feet. Sitting on a border of the bed, Oreki stared at the wall, trying to remember… Where had he heard it before?

And then, it dawned on him. It's the same buzzing as the one he had heard in that nightmare, almost three months ago. He remembered a huge mantis, monstrous rib cage and mouth, which devoured the sun itself.

"No… that was just a dream." he mumbled, shaking his head. As Oreki washed his face, ready to start with his morning chores, suddenly somebody knocked on the door.

"Oreki! Oreki, please, let me in!"

Mayaka's voice had a terrified note. That definitively woke him up. Running towards the door, Oreki even forgot to dress up. Mayaka blushed.

"C-Cover yourself up…"

"Oh, sorry." he said, quickly donning his shirt. Mayaka hurried into the room and closed the door.

"Oreki, you've got to come with me. This is serious!" she latched onto his shirt with a concerned stare.

"Have you found Persocom Chitanda?"

Mayaka looked to the side.

"Yes and no. "

"What do you mean?"

"The project… it happened! That thing woke up, and now it's tearing the city down! I went back to my apartment, and it's empty! Satoshi is gone! It's eating people, Oreki, please help us!"

"But what can I do?!"

"Satoshi woke up this morning. It seems that the infection took over his brain, completely. He ran out of the building, and I couldn't catch him. That's when I saw that _monster_ and ran back to your place. Just come with me!"

Oreki and Mayaka ran down the street. They finally caught wind of Satoshi, as he ran like a madman, down the wet streets.

"You can't stop this, Oreki!" he yelled, swerving around the corner. Stealing a bike, he pedaled over the bridge, up to the center of a town.

"Fuku-chan, please, wait! We just want to help you!" Mayaka yelled. Satoshi just pedaled away.

"Gone." Oreki muttered.

"Ahh… that moron!" Mayaka yelled. Stealing another bike, she went after him. Oreki remained behind.

"Guess I'm going home."

Just as Oreki turned around, a high-pitched scream tore the dawn's glum silence. Oreki felt the creeps traveling down his spine. As he turned around, a shadow fell upon him. Above the center of a town, loomed even a greater shadow. He recognized those green eyes, huge teeth and skeletal form. It was a huge mantis, monster towering over their heads.  
Oreki felt helpless.

"She was right…" he said, with an open mouth. Standing under the tower, he stared at something that shouldn't even exist.

" _I scream, but nobody hears me."_

That buzzing turned into familiar words inside of his ears. The virus inside of his brain acted like a speaker, projecting the words in his mind.

"Hyou…ka." Oreki muttered.

" _I scream… I scream… I SCREAM I SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM"_

Buzzing turned into a loud, high pitched scream. Mayaka wept, hiding her ears. Oreki could have sworn his ears started bleeding as he stood in front of the beast.

" _TEAR THE FLESH OF AN ENEMY – NEW DAY IS BORN? IS IT A NEW SPRING? UNCLE?"_

Words kept ringing in Oreki's ears, he couldn't block them. Suddenly the urge to come closer overwhelmed him, and he couldn't resist. Hypnotized, Oreki slowly walked towards the looming vision. Beast hunched down, its compound eyes staring at him. That's when he realized why the town is empty.

Various bodies, mostly men, hanged from the monster's chest and body, bound with vines. They weren't dead, but it creeped him out and he bolted away.

" _Bind yourself to me, Oreki. Fill me up with your SEED. Isn't that what you've always WANTED? TAKE MY PRETTY FLOWERS AWAY. PRETTY. FLOWERS. AWAY, AWAY, AWAY-"_

"Stop that!" Oreki yelled. Monster's head tilted to the side, and Oreki felt something reaching for his ankles. A vine bound him up and he lost the footing, flying up in the glum sky. Suddenly, he was above the town, high in the air. As vines held him up, Oreki saw a familiar face.

"Chitanda…?" Oreki muttered, seeing his persocom behind the breastbone. Vines tore her stomach apart, spreading everywhere around. Wires opened her chest, and Oreki saw a machine heart, pumping the oil around her parts. Same wires hanged freely, but her eyes remained open.

"Ore… ki…" Persocom whispered, trying to smile.

"So, Satoshi spoke the truth. You're the one behind this?" he asked. Vines slowly turned him around, and he saw a familiar face. It belonged to unconscious Satoshi. A monstrous voice appeared in his head, again.

" _CREATOR-"_

Next to Satoshi, monster tied Baba-san, who still held onto Kimatra's burned out husk.

"Chitanda, I know you're inside! What do you want?" Oreki yelled, staring at grotesque, bug-like head.

"OREKI-"

The tone of the monster's voice was a horrifying, distorted version of Chitanda's kind chime.

"What is your plan?! Why are you doing this?!"

" _DESTROY – kill? DESTROY, TECHNOLOGY, HUMANITY-"_

Words appeared incoherently. Oreki wanted to break free, to no avail. Then the true horror started. Monster bound him in its flesh, and dozen pinpricks stabbed his body. His usually low energy drained away. Words formed clear in his head.

" _I WILL BECOME GOD – SUCH IS WHAT MY CREATOR WANTED – SATOSHI-"_

"Satoshi… you idiot… your own creation turned on you…" Oreki mumbled, feeling his strength fading away.

" _SATOSHI CRIED – CHITANDA DIED – SATOSHI WANTED TO PLAY WITH HIS FRIENDS A LOT MORE. A LOT. MORE. WITH HIS FRIENDS FRIENDS FRIENDS HE SCREAMS BUT NOBODY LISTENS. CHITANDA DIES, OREKI LEFT, HIS ONLY FRIEND, TECHNOLOGY IS WRONG_

 _KILL KILL KILL-"_

"Satoshi, you moron... It was never your fault!" Oreki found enough strength to muster another scream, before his consciousness faded away.

* * *

Oreki woke up inside of a dream. Or so it seemed. He sat in front of the wheel of his car, or his former car, better to say. Chitanda sat next to him.

"Oreki, let's go visit those Sphynx Statues! I'm so curious!" she clenched her fists.

"No.. no, no, no! Not this again!" Oreki yelled, as his guts twisted in a painful knot.

"What's wrong, Oreki-san? Are you sick?" Chitanda worried, touching his forehead.

 _SUFFER FOR THE WHOLE ETERNITY._

He heard a voice. So that's what it was. All of those people latched onto monsters body had terrible nightmares of worst life experiences. It fed the thing. It fed on fear and anxiety.

"I will change my past. Chitanda, I will save you." Oreki said.

"Oreki, you're scaring me…" Chitanda said. But he couldn't get out of the car. As he tried going out, doors locked and he couldn't get away. Car moved out on its own. Oreki tried stopping the car, but he couldn't press the gas, or turn the wheel. The damned thing moved on its own.

"What the hell?!" he yelled, as car moved out. Concert of wipers cleaning the windshield mesmerized him, just like that time. Rhytmic click-clacking of iridescent signal lights, pointing to the right. He held onto the leather wheel, trying to move the car away, but to no avail.

Huge truck appeared out of nowhere, swerving to the left and right and then huge crash, which ended up with silence. A smell of blood filled his nose, he saw Chitanda's lifeless body and he let a scream.

"No!" Oreki painfully sobbed, "Please, stop! I can't see this thing again!"

"Oreki… it was fun.. let's do this again…" dead Chitanda said with lifeless eyes, and next moment he was in front of the wheel again.

"Oreki, let's go visit those Sphynx statues! I'm so curious!" Chitanda clenched her fists.

Again, and again, Oreki went through the same experience. There was no way to help her. He tried moving the wheel, he tried breaking the window, but nothing worked.

"I have to try and move her. My body can still move!" Oreki yelled. Car moved on its own. Volkswagen beetle moved to the right, as they had the right to move to that direction. Oreki braced himself, and just as truck appeared, he grabbed Chitanda, taking her to his lap.

Car collided with truck, and chunk of metal which killed her pierced the seat. For a moment, everything was silent. Oreki smiled, as a mountain of weight lifted from his shoulders, and he let out a long sigh. Suddenly, something flew from the trailer. It was a huge piece of stone.

"Oreki, what's wrong?" Chitanda asked.

His eyes widened in horror, as stone fell on her face, splashing her head all over his legs.

"No! No! No, please stop! End this nightmare! Please!" Oreki sobbed. Suddenly, she appeared back in her car seat.

"Oreki, let's go visit those Sphynx statues! I'm so curious!" she yelled.

"I can't do this…" Oreki muttered, completely giving up as car moved on its own, like a broken recording.

"What's wrong, Oreki-san?" Chitanda asked.

"You're going to die, Chitanda." Oreki said.

Chitanda's eyes widened in fear and horror.

"What?"

Suddenly, car swerved left and right. Oreki somehow managed to create a paradox, and it broke the law of this nightmare world. Realizing what happened, he quickly took the wheel, just as the truck appeared. Swerving the car to the left, he managed to escape the collision and car quietly stopped on the side of the road.

"You idiot! You moron! Watch where you drive?" truck driver yelled.

Oreki couldn't answer. Chitanda was alive. She looked like she suffered a panic attack, but she was unhurt.  
"O-Oreki! I almost died... how did you know?"

"It doesn't matter, Chi-chan. I saved you." Oreki hugged her.

Suddenly, a glass knife appeared in his hand. He felt the urge overcoming him, the urge to bury the blade deep in her body and go through the nightmare, again. Depression overcame him, feeling of hopelessness. The show has to go on, the nightmare won't stop.

"Oreki, I've never told you how much I love you." Chitanda muttered.

"You… loved me?"

"I love you, Oreki. Thank you for bringing this nightmare to an end. I have a little time. I promised her we will be reborn, together. But she has to die, first. Please, use the knife and pierce her heart. Only that way, we can be reunited."

Suddenly, warm, happy feeling overcame him. The vision disappeared in front of his eyes, and he woke up. Only this time, he had a shimmering knife in his hand.

"Ore..ki… I love you…" maimed Persocom in front of his eyes whispered, smiling with a crooked grimace, coughing a bit of oil every time she spoke.

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he cut the wine that held his arm, reaching out to grab her body. He hugged her tight, feeling her warmth. She was broken and mangled, but the glimmer of life still warm under his fingertips. He knew… the only way to truly stop this nightmare was to kill the persocom inside. Still, Persocom was his friend. He realized that he cared for her, even while she wasn't real Chitanda.

"I love you too Chitanda. So much. I'm so sorry…" he muttered. His hand slowly creeped up her open chest, and the glass blade reached her heart.

"Will you… marry me?"

"I will, Persocom Chitanda. Once this is all over, I promise you."

"That's good.." she whispered, smiling.

"Sleep now."

"HE WANTS TO DECEIVE YOU, KILL, KILL, KILL-"

Monster harped inside of their minds.

"Oreki, what are you doing..?" she whispered. Suddenly, vines let him go. He only had one moment before the monster reached with its huge claws, ready to tear him apart. Crying as he grabbed firmly onto Persocom's shoulders, Oreki pushed the knife through her mechanic heart.

"Gah-" Persocom gasped, her arms falling down the body sides. Next few minutes remained a blurry mess in his mind. Oreki remembered a loud scream, sound of breaking and his body falling in the endless void.

He fell down, next to the lifeless body of his former Persocom.

"This is right... I made a right choice…" he whispered, taking her cold hand, closing his eyes.


	21. Last chapter

**With this, we finally moved to the last chapter of this fanfiction. Long two years have passed. I've improved my writing, and I believe I've changed as a person, at least since I've started writing. Hiatus of two years was result of some troubles I've had, but I'm glad I decided to finish it in the end.**

 **To be honest, I'm sad to see this end. As much as it's end of the story, it's also puts an end to one large period of my life. Thank you, all, for supporting and reading this story.**

 **George D. Green**

* * *

 **END OF A NIGHTMARE**

Oreki heard a gentle voice. It wasn't like monster's mad yelling. This voice comforted him, like a mother's gentle prayer.

" _It's time for your nightmare to come to an end."_

He hugged Persocom's dead body amidst the wreckage of a huge, monstrous beast. Even with the rain, he could feel tears streaming down his cheeks. He killed Chitanda two times, and emotional anguish felt too much.

" _What is your greatest wish, Oreki?"_

"Return her back… Please, return her back…" Oreki whispered, his voice broken.

Alas, nothing happened. He clutched to her lifeless body, torn apart by wires and vines.

" _Your love is great, Oreki. You might be just another lazy good for nothing in everybody's eyes…but in her eyes you were special. You are special. Raise your head and smile._

 _There is only one wish in everybody's life. Only one wish that will be granted, no matter what. Most people never realize this, and go to their grave wondering._

 _I will grant you your one, only, final wish."_

Oreki closed his eyes, resting his swollen eyelids. As he opened up his eyes…

"Chitanda…?" he said, with mouth opened in disbelief.

"Oreki…? Where am I?"

"Chitanda, is this really you?" Oreki grabbed her hair, frantically searching for persocom ears, but there were none. Chitanda puffed her cheeks and pouted lips.

"Who else would it be?"

"But you-"

"What?"

"You were dead! I saw you with my own eyes! What is this?!"

Chitanda's eyes widened in shock as she hugged him and shivered.

"I don't understand. Can you explain it to me? I can't remember anything."

Oreki opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

"Oreki, are you okay?"

Exhausted, tired and emotionally drained Oreki opened his mouth, but his vision darkened and he fell unconscious.

* * *

Oreki woke up, somewhere around the afternoon – at least according to the magenta sunlight that touched his eyelids. When he finally made sense of his surroundings, it obviously belonged to a hospital: white walls, sterile smell in the air and a bottle of liquid dripping through the tube, into his veins.

"What happened?" Oreki mumbled, turning his head. There was a night stand next to his bed, and atop if it basket full of… papers? With strong pain torturing his body, Oreki barely managed to sit up.

Those papers were actually letters, expressing good wishes. Amongst them were even few love letters. Confused, he opened one of them.

 _Hero of Kamiyama,_

 _Thank you for saving my husband. I hope you'll wake up soon._

 _Cindy Kizuna_

"Foreigner…?" he asked, reading another one. This one belonged to Chitanda. Only she had those peach tinted envelopes, adorned with a pattern of cute looking seeds. After all, her family used to run a successful business.

 _Oreki-san…_

 _This is difficult. Satoshi and Ibara-san don't want to tell me what happened. They told me I was dead for ten years, but nothing more. I don't remember anything._

 _Maybe you can tell me? I'm a little bit curious... Thank you for saving me. I… no, what I want to say is for your ears only._

 _When you wake up, visit me at my place._

 _Chitanda Eru_

Oreki wanted to tear the needle right out of his vein, and go meet her, right now. Her letter returned his memory back. Chitanda is alive! That wasn't a dream! Right now, his excitement shocked him. Where is the old, familiar, energy conservation?

He obviously made a lot of noise, since nurse rushed to his room.

"Mr. Oreki, you're awake!"

She looked genuinely happy, which confused him. How long was he unconscious, anyway? Oreki decided to ask.

"I was out of it for how long, exactly?" he politely inquired.

"Three weeks now." she answered, almost like it was nothing strange.

Oreki immediately regretted asking. His heart sunk into the chest.

"Three weeks?!"

"We thought you'll never wake up."

Oreki gulped, but decided to ask the next question anyway.

"How… bad were my injuries?"

Nurse flinched. Even without the look on her face, her body language showed a substantial amount of discomfort.

"You hit your head, and your ribs broke. The injury caused a swelling in your brain, and broken ribs punctured your lungs. It caused an internal bleeding in your chest, and doctors spent nearly three days trying to keep you alive. You're a miracle of the medicine, Mr. Oreki."

Oreki suddenly realized how the letter he sent must have been weeks old by now.

"When will the visits start?" he asked. The nurse checked her wristwatch.

"In ten minutes. Please, wait here. I have to call your doctor."

"Sure."

Doctor came to visit soon, a tall foreigner, so called specialist in neural surgery. Obviously, this man saved his life. To thank him, Oreki promised a lot but the doctor refused, saying how this is "his job".

Well, it's not like he was wrong, but to Oreki this meant a lot more. When the doctor finally left, Oreki remained alone in the room, contemplating the ceiling, waiting for his friends. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes slowly passed away. Soon enough, a first half on an hour passed. He turned to his left, side without a needle.

"Good job, guys." Oreki slowly clapped.

Oreki almost gave up any hope of seeing his friends, when he heard a familiar voice in the hall.

"Do you think he's awake?" It was Chitanda.

"I don't know…" Mayaka had unmistakable voice.

"This isn't fair… he saved me, and now I can't even thank him."

Chitanda walked to the room with a sad look upon her pretty face. Oreki sat up on his bed, with his trademark, sullen look.

"Yo." he slowly a waved hand.

Chitanda raised her eyes, and in a matter of seconds her empty irises glittered. Chitanda squealed, jubilant, running to hug him.

"Oreki, Oreki, Oreki, Oreki! You're alive, I can't believe, Oreki!" Chitanda wept as she held him in her arms.

Mayaka hid her face and cried, trying to stop her overwhelming emotions.

"Welcome back, you useless bum." Mayaka spoke through tears.

"I'm not the one you should be surprised about…" Oreki said. Chitanda finally let him go, trying to wipe the tears that just kept flowing.

"They already cried all the tears for me. Now it's your turn." Chitanda whispered to his ear.

"Where is Satoshi?"

Mayaka and Chitanda fell silent. For a moment, Oreki thought Satoshi died. Mayaka stepped up.

"Satoshi was taken into custody. He's waiting for his trial, as well as Baba-san."

"You mean that this wasn't a dream?"

"Sadly, no… I tried covering up for him, but he went and started screaming how he's a divine messenger. Police took him in the station, and it didn't take them long to realize he was responsible."

While Oreki wished for an epilogue, finale, an end to all that happened in the last several months, Satoshi was still out there. He had a lot of questions for his friend. There was also a matter of Chitanda.

"Chitanda… how much do you remember?" Oreki asked. Chitanda touched the flower petals with her finger, refusing to look at Oreki.

"I don't know… I don't remember how I died. I remember being with you, then nothing. Like there's a huge gap in my memory."

"Chi-chan doesn't remember her death, Oreki. It's better this way, in my opinion." Mayaka reasoned. Chitanda looked at her, and then at Oreki. Her eyes lit up, and she grabbed Oreki's hand.

"Tell me, Oreki! Tell me, everything! How did I die? Why? When did it happen? I'm curious!"

Oreki opened his mouth, remembering everything that happened. One rainy day, two sphinx statues, three words he couldn't say to his persocom.

Four friends, separated by tragedy.

Chitanda's eyes glimmered as she pulled closer, and Oreki felt the scent of her breath, the smell of her skin, the way her shirt fell, uncovering a bit of her breasts. Yet, for the first time, he wished for tomorrow. Oreki wanted to bury the past. That's why he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, hugged Chitanda and said:

"Mysteries are behind us, Chitanda. Some things are forgotten for a reason."

* * *

EPILOGUE

Every breath you take

Some things are better left unsaid. Some mysteries are better left unsolved. Chitanda Eru remained curious, but after a while of prying and begging, she gave up and stopped unearthing the past. Today, Houtarou Oreki and her got married, and they live on an old Chitanda farmhold.

Fukube Satoshi was charged with a participation in "terrorist activities", along with Baba Ryu. However, Mayaka Ibara used his fame and many connections, bailing him out. Their current status is unknown.

Sekitani Junko hated Oreki for some time after all that happened. Even after realizing what had happened, she still remained angry, but upon meeting Koreyuki Tani, they fell in love and to this day, remained in a relationship. Satoshi reportedly laughed.

Sekitani Jun blamed himself for the events that unfolded. Seeing his niece rising from death, the man couldn't stand emotional stress and left for America. He sent some messages, but stopped after a while. It's uncertain where he resides this time.

Oreki and Chitanda opened a place where Persocoms who felt lost could come to find peace and solace. Something of a technological haven, combined with the beauty of nature. All of this was Chitanda's idea.

Oreki couldn't help but wonder… how much of the Persocom Chitanda actually disappeared?

THE END


End file.
